Oh, no

I made a mistake today.   Chances are, you did too.

Did you run the coffee pot without putting grounds in?  Oops.

Did you forget to put mayo on your sandwich?  Dang it!

Did you forget about an appointment?  (I'm lookin' at you, Wanda)

If you only made a small mistake you probably didn't think twice about it.  I made a really big mistake.  And as a result we are down to 5 puppies.

I am a puppy killer.  I feel like I should wear a t-shirt printed with those words so that people can spit on me and push me down like I deserve.

Here's what happened:  Yesterday Larry moved the puppies out to the dog kennel.  They had been in the garage but Cici had started to get into things and I think Larry wanted his garage back.  Anyway, this morning when the sun was shining on them they were making lots of noise.  They seemed uncomfortable so I moved them and their baby pool into the shade.  After getting them situated we left to go swimming.  I thought I would be home before their shady spot turned into a sunny spot.

But I wasn't.  While I was living it up at the pond my puppies were at home getting hotter and hotter.

Larry got home before me and moved them back into the shade.  I went to check on them right away.  Two were unmoving.

If you had told me two weeks ago that I would shed tears over a puppy dying I probably would have laughed at you.  But, people, I watched all these puppies come into the world and it was amazing.  And now, because of me, two were gone. 

I sat in the dog kennel and sobbed.  And while I watched, another puppy breathed it's last.

There were waves of emotion.  So sad.  So angry.  So disappointed.

And the one that lingers:  guilt.  This was my fault.  If only I hadn't moved them in the first place.  If only I had come home sooner.  If only they were still in the garage.  If only, if only, if only...

But I can't rewind time.  What's done is done.  The best thing that can happen now is that I learn from my mistake.

This time around my mistake was not a sin and I'm thankful for that.  But I do make mistakes that are sins.  Chances are, you have too.

Did you share some information that was gossipy?

Did you spew some words that were hurtful to someone else?

Have you allowed pride to creep into your heart?

Jesus calls for us to repent.  He took all our ugly shame to the cross.  It was nailed there so that we can be free.  All we've got to do is ask.  

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."  ~ Isaiah 53:5