1January1968
Written by THEUNIS, JOHANNES CLOETE tjcloete@absamail.co.za
1 JANUARY 1968.
Many years ago, I failed the Lord in a stupid teenager deed.
I can painfully remember January the 1st, 1968.
I was raised in the parsonage, I was 16 years old, I knew right from wrong.
But I failed the Lord!
1/1/68 was always a painful memory of my stupid failure.
Before the sun went down Jan. 1, 1968 I begged God to forgive me for breaking the very heart of God.
On Jan. 2nd, I begged God for His forgiveness.
On Jan. 3rd I begged God for His forgiveness.
And this continued for many years as the enemy oft reminded me of my failure.
In 1970 I started college and moved to Tennessee for my education.
One day as I was driving to class my enemy rightfully accused me of my failure.
And I again asked the Lord to forgive me.
In 1973 I had been to classes, my junior year, and driving home I remembered Jan. 1, 1968 and the enemy laughed at me for my failure.
I went to my apartment where Linda and I lived and laid on the couch.
I know not that I was awake or asleep,but as I lay there remembering my failures of Jan. 1, 1968, Jesus appeared right in front of me.
And I immediately cried and told him I was so sorry for breaking his heart on Jan 1, 1968.
He said, Hum, Hum, as he stroked his beard, and he reached for the book of my life. I could see the tops of the pages, I could see the headings : 1961, 1962..etc.
As he neared the end of 1967 my heart was broken because I knew that he was getting close to a terrible page in my life.
Finally, Jesus turned to the page for which I had long dreaded.
He took his right hand and stroked his beard severaltimes and said, Hum!
I then had a fear come over me.
I looked in His eyes and I wondered, I reached over and I touched the book and I pulled it down where I could see the whole page of Jan. 1, 1968 and to my surprise it was totally clean!
WHITE! Snow white!
There was not one blot of dirt or anything on that page.
I said to Jesus, “I very clearly remember Jan. 1, 1968.
To which He replied to me,”Son, you asked forgiveness for that on that evening and I took my blood and I washed your black sin and made it white as snow and removed it as far as the East is from the West.
As far as I am concerned, you have been justified by the blood of the lanb.
I will never remember or recall any of the deeds of your life that is under the blood.”
Before Jesus left, I said, “Jesus, I have one question to ask you.
If you have removed this from my past, and it is very apparent that you have, why did you not remove this painful day of Jan. 1, 1968 from my mind, my memory hurts me so bad?”
Jesus looked over his shoulder and said, “Son, while I have forgave you and forgotten your sin, if I removed this painful memory out of your mind, you would again fall into the same trap.
I love you so much that I have forgiven you, but I leave this scar to remind you that you need to liveyour life pleasing to me.”
With that, He said, “I love you and was gone.”