The Forbidden Key

A true story of kids in double trouble!“Over here,” Rosie whispered to her little brother Andy. “Whatcha doin’?” he asked curiously.  “Shhh! Or Mom will hear us!” She looked quickly over her shoulder. “I want this key. But it has metal wrapped all around it. Here, help me.”  Andy didn’t know how sharp the metal from the old Spam meat can was. In those days, a key helped open up the can. Rosie watched her mother turn the key all around the top edge of the can until a thin strip of metal from the can was wrapped tightly around the key. And ta-da! The can opened!  Mom then threw the little key into the trash. She warned Rosie to never ever play with the key because the metal strip wound around the key would badly cut her hands.  One day, Rosie thought the key looked so fun to play with! She thought, “Never mind the sharp metal, if you’re careful enough, you won’t be cut. Mom will never know.”  She was only seven years old, but she knew she was doing wrong. “I’ll hold the key while you unwind the metal on the end.” Three-year-old Andy began to help her.  “Oh, no! What’s happening!” they cried together. Blood covered Andy’s hands. He was badly cut! They went running to Mom. “Andy’s hurt! Andy’s hurt!” They were in double trouble.  Quickly, Mom worked to clean his cuts. “Ow! Ouch! It hurts!” Tears ran down his cheeks. Then she carefully bandaged his little fingers.  How sorry Rosie felt for her brother! She knew it was all her fault. Andy was hurt because she had disobeyed! Did you know that Rosie asked God to forgive her for disobeying her mother and hurting her little brother?  Andy’s fingers got all better, and today he doesn’t even have scars. But Rosie has never forgotten that her disobedience hurt Andy.  Now, God loves you and wants you to obey so you can be safe. He wants be your friend!  Someday, God wants us all to live with Him in Heaven. We read about it in the Bible. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Sin is the wrong things we do like lying, stealing, or disobeying. Did you know sin hurts us and sin hurts God? To be friends with God, we can’t be full of sin.  The good news is that God sent His Son (Jesus) to die on the Cross for our sins. He took the punishment for our sins, so you and I could be forgiven for the bad things we have done.  You see, I was the little girl, Rosie. I asked Jesus to forgive my sins, and he came to live in my heart. Right now, thank Jesus for dying for your sins. Ask Him to forgive you and wash your sins away. Trust Him to wash your heart clean, and He will! I know it’s true, because He did it for me! Read about it in the Bible in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He [Jesus] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”