Doris was playing by the river with some of her girlfriends, and Maxine was talking about all the wonderful things her grandfather had done. Doris was tired of hearing’ it over and over again. She wanted to tell something wonderful too. Now her grandfather had a very fine watch and she knew that Maxine’s grandfather did not have one as good. She suddenly decided to run home and get it—nobody would ever know and she’d put it back again the same night.
How their eyes popped when Doris brought the watch, and Maxine didn’t even mention her grandfather again!
Soon it was supper time and Doris ran home fast, and then she remembered the watch. She must put it back in its place at once, but she felt in both her pockets and the watch was gone!
“Oh, Mother,” she said, “I forgot something. I’ll have to run and get it.” But she didn’t have to go far, for there lying on the street, where she had run across, she saw the watch. But at that moment a truck turned the corner—and ran over it! Poor Doris! It was too smashed to ever be fixed, but she carefully gathered the pieces into her handkerchief. What could she do? Putting it out of sight at the very bottom of her drawer in a little white box didn’t make her forget it.
All the next day it bothered her too, and then at supper time Mr. Dack said, “Mother, I noticed Grandfather’s watch isn’t in the case in my drawer. Where is it?” Before Mother could answer Doris turned white and dropped her spoon, splashing the soup all over the table. The watch was soon forgotten — but not by Doris. It seemed to hang right over her head all the time! Her mother always prayed about things and asked the Lord to help her find them —what if she should pray about the watch? All evening the clock seemed to tick louder than usual and Doris was sure it was saying, “Doris sinned, Doris sinned, she stole a watch, she stole a watch.”
The next day at school everything went wrong, and when she was setting the table for supper that night she broke one of the best dishes. She threw herself on the couch and cried and cried.
Her mother came to the couch and putting her arm around her asked, “Why, Doris, whatever is the matter?”
“Oh,” sobbed Doris, “everything I do goes wrong—I can’t do anything right.”
Mrs. Dack looked up to the Lord about it and for an answer the verse, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper,” Prov. 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13), came to her mind.
“Doris,” she asked, “are you covering anything up? You know God says in His Word, ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper,’ and if you are covering up something sinful it is very displeasing to the Lord. The verse ends this way: ‘But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ “
For a moment Doris was silent, and then with another burst of tears she told the whole story of the watch. How badly her mother felt, and Father too when he came home!
He spoke to her of the seriousness of sin in God’s sight, but reminded her that God’s Word says, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
Doris sobbingly knelt at her father’s knee and confessed to the Lord her sin in taking the watch and then hiding it from her parents. And though grieved that she had caused her parents so much sorrow, yet she was happy to know she was forgiven.
ML 07/09/1961