The Feeling of Forgiveness
In a peaceful meadow near the edge of the woods lived a small child named Sara. She loved to sing and pretend to fly about over the garden and fields. But one day, while playing too close to the neighbor’s fence, she broke one of the garden rules—she reached through the fence and picked berries that weren’t hers.
The farmer saw her and waved his arms. “Now, now, those aren’t for you to eat. You have all the berries you want in the surrounding fields!” he cried. Sara ran away, scared and ashamed. She didn’t mean to do wrong, but she couldn’t undo what happened.
For many days, Sara stayed away from the neighbor’s garden, too afraid to sing and play out in the open. Her heart felt heavy. “The farmer won’t forgive me,” she whispered. “Even God must be angry at me.”
One morning, as she sat quietly on a tree stump, her grandfather walked by. He had gentle eyes and a soft voice. “Why are you so sad, Sara?” he asked.
Sara told him everything. When she finished, her grandpa nodded kindly. “We all make mistakes,” he said. “But do you know what you can always do? You can pray. Talk to God and ask Him to forgive you. He loves you very much.”
As the soft rays of the sun fell upon her, Sara held out her hands and whispered, “Jesus, please forgive me. I’m sorry. I want to be close to You.”
A warm breeze blew upon her, and peace filled her heart. She looked up and saw her grandfather walking back to the house, but somehow she knew—God had heard her prayer.
The next day, Sara ran back to the garden. The farmer smiled when he saw her. “You’re welcome here, little one,” he said gently. “Just stay out of the berry patch next time.”
Sara smiled happily and began to sing again. Her dance and song were brighter than ever—because now, she knew what forgiveness felt like.
Moral Lesson: When we make mistakes, Jesus never stops loving us. Like the man on the cross who said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” we can always turn to Him in prayer and ask for mercy. Jesus hears every prayer from the heart, forgives us, and promises that we can be with Him in paradise when we stay close to Him.
Inspired by Luke 23:35-43.
