THEY were all busy with their gardens—one, two, three girls, and two boys. Some were digging, or sowing seeds, while the others were pulling up weeds or setting their plants in different places.
Presently Teddy said, “I will measure my garden to see how big it is, and then I can tell father and mother in my next letter.”
So he ran indoors and got auntie’s ruler. Now Teddy had a ruler of his very own, which he used at school and kept in his satchel with his books for homework; but Teddy’s ruler was only one foot long, and auntie’s ruler was a yard stick.
Teddy thought it was fine to use this giant ruler, and he measured his garden all-along near to the path, and found it was just about five feet in length; then he put the ruler across from the wall to the grass border and that way it measured nearly two feet wide.
Teddy was so interested in measuring this way and that way all about his garden, that he quite forgot what auntie had often said, until suddenly there was a sound very like “Cra-ack!” and then, when he and the others looked they saw what had been a nice long straight ruler now lying on the ground in two pieces with ugly splinters sticking out from ends which once formed, the middle.
What would auntie say? Poor Teddy remembered quite well now how often she had said, “Children, do not take my things without first asking me if you may use them.”
Then he did the very best thing he could do, for he ran into the house and up the stairs to auntie’s room, and told her all about it.
Auntie was vexed about the ruler, which had been so useful to her. It had measured the windows when they needed new curtains, and it had measured the floors when new carpets or linoleums must be bought; and now the two jagged pieces were no use at all! But how glad she was that Teddy had come right away to confess his fault. That is what God likes His children to do, just to tell Him at once if we have done anything wrong. He is riot vexed with us like Teddy’s aunt was with him, for although sin is hateful to God, there is a little verse in His word that says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive its our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 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).
There is only one way in which we can come to God for this forgiveness and cleansing, and that way is through our Lord Jesus Christ, who bore the punish, went of all our sins when He died on the cross. God never forgets this, and when any one repents and confesses to Him, as Teddy did to his aunt, He sees Jesus before Him and forgives at once for His sake.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1, 21My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1‑2).
ML-11/10/1935