“Oops & Calculators” 

“Oops” is one of those extraordinary sounds that can stir up joyous laughter and gut-wrenching fear all in the same historic moment. For example:

During the cold winter night a light rain covers the ground, which soon freezes. Early the next morning you step out with two dogs eager to do their morning business. As Molly and Honey eagerly yank on their leashes your right tennis shoe comes in contact with the slippery ice on the front step… “Oops!” Do you get the idea? (“Oops,” may not have been the only word I used.)

The picture of you collapsed on the ground with two yelping dogs running all around can be quite funny to anyone… but you. “Oops,” is that kind of sound.

Here is another example. You are inside a hospital operating room, heavily sedated but awake. The surgeon is standing over you issuing instructions to the nurse.

• “Scalpel.”           “Check.”
• “Swab.”             “Check.”
• “Oops...”

Would you stay calm and serenely ask: “Doctor, did you just say... Oops?”  (Right!) You would more likely say, “Where’s the phone? Get me a lawyer!”  Or, how about a good old-fashioned loud scream for… “Help!!??”

“Oops,” is that kind of word.

Have there been any major “Oops” in your life? Missed opportunities? Ruined relationships? Something said in anger that hurt a dear friend? Perhaps someone has committed an “Oops” against you? A fellow worker stabs you in the back? A trusted friend betrays you?

Maybe your “Oops” was against God. You’ve blown it… big time and now you need help.

The answer could be as close as a calculator. I’m no whiz at arithmetic so a calculator is always nearby. I crunch a series of numbers and the calculator works perfectly but often in haste I hit the wrong key. “Oops!” (There’s that word again!) No problem... I just push the button marked “C.” You can’t miss it. Mine is marked in red. Instantly, everything is erased and I can begin again.

God promises to forgive our “Oops” in life the same way. There is a “C” button on God’s calculator unmistakably marked in red just for you. The “C” stands for Jesus Christ and the red is a vivid reminder of the cost Jesus paid to clear all of your “Oops.” Confess your mistakes before God, then push the “Red C” button and everything is erased so that you can begin again.    

Can seeking forgiveness from God be that straightforward? Ask a woman about to be punished for adultery. Jesus said to her accusers, “All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!” Jesus then forgave her. (John 8:1-11) Ask the criminal beside Jesus on the cross. “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:24) Ask Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus, received forgiveness and became a leader of the church.

The Season of Lent is designated by the church as a time of preparation for Christ’s death and resurrection. Lent begins on March 6 with Ash Wednesday and ends Easter Sunday, April 23. This could be your opportunity to hit the “Red C” button on God’s calculator and clear some major “Oops” in your life. God’s calculator is ready… Don’t wait! Go ahead and push that button! 

Speaking of “Oops.” I need to stop writing. I think my dogs just did an “Oops” on the kitchen floor.

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