A NEW START

When I was a school boy, I enjoyed the start of a new term, meeting friends who I hadn’t seen since we broke up for the holidays. Catching up on things, we had done the mischief we had got up to.

There were other things as well, such as new teachers taking our class and new classrooms to move to; that first morning was always busy.

I remember quite clearly thinking this term, I’m going to try harder, take more interest in the lessons. New exercise books were always welcome. This was really the opportunity to show my determination to do better. But it never quite worked out like that, and my report book never showed that elusive A grade; the best I ever did was to get a B+ in something like history.

It’s always great to make a new start, whether it be a year, a school term, perhaps a different job or just a new day. A fresh start, wouldn’t we all like that?

The mistakes I make daily, things I do, say, think, or the way I act, as soon as they are done, I regret, but they are done. There are some things we can put right and ask forgiveness for, but it still leaves a blot on the day's page. Much like my exercise book at the beginning of a new term, I might get the first page filled without a mistake. But then they would start, and try as I might to rub them out, there was always the telltale sign of where I had tried to make it go away.

We would sing a song years ago, it went like this 

God has blotted them out

God has blotted them out.

I’ll turn to Isiah and see:

Chapter forty-four

Twenty-two and three:

He’s blotted them out

And now I can shout, 

That means me.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and blot them out completely, leaving no unsightly mark.

God gives the chance to start afresh every day.
But the choice is ours to make.