Erasers

As a little girl in third grade wearing a polyester aqua plaid skirt with a shirt and knee socks to match, it was my week to stay after school and clean the slate black board and erasers. Truthfully for a wild, curly haired young girl wearing brown corrective shoes, this was my favorite job to get of all the chores on the Jobs List.

Every day for a week I got one-on-one attention from my teacher; and every day for a week I got to make order out of chaos, both things that were needed in my early life. When the big hand on the large round classroom clock moved around to 3:10 pm, it was time to snap into action.  On my tippy toes I would begin at the top of the board and erase the day's math, science and homework assignments away.  I worked until there was no trace of the past.  Then to complete the task I would put my jacket on, grab up the two gray felt erasers, head down the wide stairwell, and out the large front doors.  There I would clap those erasers together with all my might.  I clapped and clapped until the poofs of chalk dust were gone.

Back upstairs I beamed at a job well done, knowing the next day could begin with a clean slate--a fresh start, a new beginning.  Certainly our Heavenly Father has the same love of fresh starts--Christmas is about giving mankind a second chance; Easter is about giving humankind a clean slate.  Yet our God knew we could not wait for months for a do-over so He designed daily new beginnings.  In the Old Testament book of Lamentations it speaks of God's mercies being new every morning.

As this new year rolls around, erase the old and with your Heavenly Father's help welcome the new fresh start.