Haley decided that she wanted to spend a day with her pet raccoon Daniel. She had been spending so much time learning about how sinful she was, and she wanted a day with just Daniel. She thought that Daniel would understand her and help her to feel good.
After breakfast Haley went down the trail that went to Daniel’s hollow tree. Daniel lived in that tree, and he was always happy to see Haley…except for today! Daniel was hungry, and he was just climbing out of his hollow tree when Haley arrived. Haley wanted to play games with Daniel, but Daniel wanted to hunt for some food!
Haley wanted to play hide and seek. She told Daniel that she would count to ten, and then she would come and find him. Haley counted slowly from one to ten and then yelled, “Ready or not, here I come!” Daniel had run as fast as he could go towards the neighbor’s field. In the middle of that field was a large garden with many good things to eat! Daniel could just imagine the great meal he was about to have! Haley had heard Daniel running through the woods, and she ran after him yelling, “I’m coming to find you Daniel!”
Haley was making so much noise that the neighbor’s dog heard them coming! The dog began to bark, and the neighbor looked out of his house and saw Daniel crossing the field. The neighbor knew that Daniel was headed toward the garden, so he turned the dog loose and the dog tore across the field toward the raccoon! Daniel turned around and ran as fast as he could back into the forest! Haley burst out of the forest right in front of the angry dog! The dog barked at Haley, and she screamed and ran as fast as she could into the forest! The dog was happy that he had scared them away, and he went back home.
Since Daniel could not have a breakfast of garden vegetables, he decided that a fish would taste good. He went to a quiet spot in the river where the water was shaded by a big tree. Fish liked to swim in that cool, shady spot. Daniel carefully peered into the water and there was a fish that was just the right size for his breakfast. Daniel patiently was waiting until the fish was close enough to grab when Haley came crashing through the trees and jumped into the river to cool off! The fish was scared by Haley and swam away into deep water! Daniel’s breakfast was gone! Daniel ran away so that he could find something else for breakfast!
Daniel came to the edge of the forest and saw that he was close to the farmhouse. Daniel remembered that Joe always kept some sugar cookies in the cookie jar in the kitchen. Daniel came to the farmhouse door and listened carefully. He could not hear Joe at all. Daniel had learned how to open the door of the house, so he carefully and quietly opened the door and let himself into the house. There was still no noise, so Daniel carefully and quietly went to the kitchen. Daniel found Joe! Joe was sitting at the kitchen table, but he was asleep! Daniel could see the cookie jar on the table, just in front of Joe. Daniel quietly climbed the chair that was on the other side of the table and then crawled up onto the table. Daniel was just reaching for the lid of the cookie jar when Haley arrived at the farmhouse. Haley was in a bad mood because Daniel did not want to play with her, so she slammed the door open and stomped into the house! Joe instantly woke up and saw Daniel on the kitchen table! Joe yelled at Daniel! Daniel screamed in terror, jumped off the table and ran towards the door! Haley was in the way, so Daniel tried to go between her feet, but Haley fell backwards! Daniel ran right over the top of Haley, out the door and back to the forest! He still had not had breakfast!
Haley complained to Joe, “Daniel is mad at me, he will not play with me, and I do not think that he wants to be my friend anymore!” Joe patiently explained to Haley that Daniel was probably hungry and trying to find something to eat. Haley had kept getting in the way and was keeping Daniel from getting any food! Haley was doing the wrong things, and this had kept Daniel from enjoying her company today.
Joe told Haley that this problem with Daniel could help her learn a little bit more about who she is. Just like doing the wrong things caused separation between her and Daniel, our sin causes separation between us and God. Sin is a barrier that not only separates us from God but also keeps us from even understanding God and His love for us! The sin in our life makes God a stranger to us!
In the Bible in Colossians 1:21-22 it says:
This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.
In the Bible in Ephesians 2:12-13 it says:
In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ.
It is true, if we do not have Jesus in our heart then we are strangers to God and alienated from Him. Only by believing in Jesus, praying and asking for forgiveness, and inviting Him to come into our life and take over, can we ever regain our friendship with God. Haley thought about this for a few minutes, and it was starting to make sense to her. She had nothing good to offer to God, only through the forgiveness offered by Jesus could she ever be accepted by God. Haley said to Joe, “I am glad that I have asked Jesus to come into my life! I could never be accepted by God without the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross to pay for our sins!”
Joe agreed with Haley and then told her that she should take three cookies out of the jar and make peace with Daniel. This was a great idea, so that is what Haley did!