Time Doesn't Always Heal

I read about something that happened this past fall that resonates loud-and-clear with our 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough. Back in November, Pete Richeson walked into a sheriff’s office to confess a crime he committed sixty years ago.

Richeson stole a fraternity beanie off the head of an Alabama fan at the Iron Bowl, the annual football game between in-state rivals Alabama and Auburn. In fact, Richeson and his brother went to the game planning to steal an opposing fan’s hat to keep as prideful souvenir.

“We took it back to Auburn and passed it around the dormitory at that time, and we nailed it to the wall, and it stayed there.”

Sixty years later, though, Richeson regrets what he did. But when he presented himself to the sheriff, he was told that the statute of limitations had expired and that there wasn’t much that could be done. Still, Richeson is hoping that the one he violated is still alive and that he will allow Richeson to make things right.

“It's stayed with me for over sixty years, and I would like to give it back to the man it belongs to. I'm sure he had some consequences he had to face….I must do something soon, because we’re both close to 80-years-old, and I’m hoping he’s still alive.”

Richeson’s actions are not unlike what happens to us when we intensely seek God’s holiness through prayer and fasting. God reveals sins that we’ve refused to address—perhaps secret sins, hidden sins, “forgotten” sins. And spiritual breakthrough comes when we own up to our sin, find God’s forgiveness, and seek to make right the wrong that we’ve done.

Might there be some sin that God is reminding you about? Something that you’ve yet to place under the blood of Jesus for His forgiveness? Of course, you’ll have to own up to it to deal with it…and to own up to it is to admit, “I did that.”

I’m praying for you today! Please pray for me…