School didn’t come easy to Tom. When he started the new semester, he found the work assigned to him very difficult. Even when his teacher carefully explained the lesson, he still couldn’t seem to understand. He studied hard, but even then in his tests he hardly made passing grades.
Poor Tom determined to do better, but week after week went by and there was little improvement. This sad state of affairs continued until half the term had passed.
Then after the start of the second semester things took a turn for the better. Tom’s grades began to improve, and one day his teacher remarked, “Tom, I am proud of you. You have been trying hard and it is paying off now.” Tom worked still harder, his grades continued to improve, and soon he was among the best in his class.
At last the school year came to an end, and it was announced that there would be an open house for parents and friends to come and see the boys’ and girls’ accomplishments during the past year. Poor Tom dreaded the thought that his work and his poor grades for the first semester would be out on display for everyone to see. What would his parents say when they saw how often he had failed? How he wished he could do something to get rid of the bad part of his record so that his parents could see only the good!
Open house came, and after the program the students and teachers went to their classrooms to await the visit of the parents. Tom was nervous and uneasy, but at last the moment arrived when the door opened and his father and mother stepped into the room. They went at once to the large bulletin board where the workbooks were posted on display.
Tom watched in amazement as his parents, turning the pages of his book, instead of looking with disappointment on his record exchanged glances of evident happiness and pride. He had been so ashamed of his grades that he thought there must be a mistake. But Mother and Dad smiled at him reassuringly and then they talked with his teacher.
Tom would see for himself, so walking quietly over to the board, he turned the first few pages of his book. There to his delight he found that his good-hearted teacher had removed the first pages where his work was so poor and all that remained was the good half. Tears of gratitude welled up in his eyes as he turned to his kind teacher who read the expression of thanks on his face. She had wanted his parents to see only the good.
Isn’t this what our blessed Lord has done in a more wonderful way for all those who trust Him as their Saviour? He has taken away all the bad, and by His precious death He has put away all our sins. Now the Father can see only the perfect work of Christ, His dear Son, in His children.
I look not back; God knows the fruitless effort,
The wasted hours, the sinning, the regrets;
I leave them all with Him who blots the record,
And graciously forgives, and then forgets.
Can you say, dear reader,
On the Lamb my soul is resting;
What His love no tongue can say!
All my sins so great so many
In His blood are washed away?
ML-01/22/1978