"Caught Red-Handed"

How well do I remember the day I got my arm caught in a candy vending machine! I don't remember my exact age, but I was around ten years old. There was a park we all went to in the summer to swim and play many games. It was the number one gathering place for all the kids. The park had a drink machine and a candy vending machine. All the candy lay on a little tray, and the tray would fall when you put your money in and pulled a lever to get it to drop. Since I had really skinny arms, I found out that I could reach up into the machine and push the tray holding the candy, and it would fall. On one particular day, my good friend, Roger, and I were at the candy machine; I told him to watch out as I reached up the machine to get us some free candy. He was my "look-out buddy." Well, I got my arm up into the machine, and the candy fell down, but to my shock, i could not get my arm out, no matter how hard i tried. I became frightened and hollered for Roger to help me. Instead of helping, he ran out of the door and left me. It wasn't long before he returned with the park director. To make matters worse, the park director could not free my arm even with the door of the machine now unlocked. By now a large crowd had gathered to view my trapped arm. As a last resort, the rescue squad was called to the scene. No candy bar was worth this! After some time, the rescue rescue team freed arm. I was free at last! But, news spread fast in a small town, and what awaited me at home was a spanking that I never forgot. My sins had found me out, and there was a price to pay. "Be sure, your sins will find you out."

February 4, 2018

From Your Friend & Pastor,

James H. Baker, Proverbs 3: 5-6