Baggage Claim — Dirty Clothes - Friday
Today’s Verse
Micah 7:19
He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. (ESV)
When I was fourteen, I got in trouble for sneaking out of the house one night to see my girlfriend.
I was only there about thirty minutes, but long enough to leave behind a baseball cap, which her parents later discovered. She met me at my locker a few days later with tears running down her face:
“Connor, they know. They know everything. And my dad called your dad...”
I immediately knew that I was toast—but I also knew I had to talk to him. I’ll never forget the look on my dad’s face as I walked through the back door: this combination of anger and disappointment.
“Son, tell me everything...”
Knowing that I had no choice but to come clean, I confessed every horrible detail of what happened that night until I eventually burst into tears. Sobbing, I found myself repeating the same few words over and over again: “Dad… I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Dad.”
Slowly, he got up from his chair. My sorrow suddenly turned to fear as he calmly walked towards me. I’d never done anything this bad or disappointed my father this much—was my life about to end?
Mentally preparing for the worst, I cried into my hands. Slowly, my dad sat down next to me on the sofa, wrapped his arms around my chest, pulling me in close to him, hugging me tighter than I’ve ever been hugged before.
For several minutes, we cried together, prayed together, and asked God for forgiveness together. He didn’t leave my side until I was all cried out.
Then he told me something I wasn’t quite sure I believed: “Connor, God has taken this and buried it at the bottom of the sea…”
Surely he was just saying that to make me feel better. I knew God could forgive me—but surely He’d never forget something like this. I certainly wouldn’t.
It wasn’t until years later that I learned that my dad was actually quoting scripture (Micah 7:19).
Sometimes we don’t give our Father enough credit. We nervously approach Him, fearful of what will happen, our heads hidden in shame—worried He’s going to bury us.
But reality, all He wants is to bury our sin—and He’s buried mine more times than I can remember.
So, my advice to anyone wrestling with shame this week is simple: go talk to your Dad. Our Father has more compassion than you would ever imagine.
He’ll take your worst moment and bury it deep.
REFLECTION
What’s something you need to talk to your Heavenly Father about today?
