The Shaving Cream Game
When our girls were little, we used to play something we’d called, “The Shaving Cream” game. It was a great way to illustrate how easy it is to get a fresh start, a new beginning … a do-over. Here’s how you play:
- Get a can of shaving cream. Each player sits at the table or counter.
- Everyone gets a pile of shaving cream sprayed in front of them.
- Then, each person spreads the shaving cream out until it creates a white blank canvas of foam.
- Each player takes turns calling out an object… any object. For example, “house!” Then all the players have a few minutes to draw a house with their fingers using the foam as their canvas.
- Whoever’s drawing gets the most points from their fellow players in that round, wins the point.
So, we used to play this all the time. Someone would call out “Car!” And we’d all draw pictures of cars. “Dog!” Everyone draws a picture of a dog. The beautiful thing was, no matter what you had drawn before, you could quickly and easily smooth it away to prepare for the next round. No matter how many times we drew new pictures, there were no traces of the previous drawing…. with each new round, everyone got to start with a clean slate. To make it even better, all players got a fresh supply of shaving cream whenever they needed it so, no chance of running out.
READ: REMEMBERING LENA, MY DEAR FRIEND
The Lesson is in the Game
That’s how God is about our mistakes. No matter how many we make, He always gives us access to the shaving cream of forgiveness by allowing us to repent and begin again. No matter what mistakes we’ve drawn on the canvas of our lives: involvement with toxic people, bouts of unforgiveness, or we’ve found ourselves plagued by repeating a sin. God has made a way for a new beginning. Every time.
No mistake we’ve made–big or small–gets to leave a permanent imprint on the canvas of our lives.
We are not held hostage to the mistakes we made ten years ago, last month or even… yesterday. Just the way me and my girls would, with one swipe of the hand wipe away all traces of the previous drawings, God, with the truth of His word in I John 1:9 promises that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Be Reminded
Made some mistakes? Me, too. It’s been years since I played The Shaving Cream game with my children as they are all adults, now. But every time I see a can of shaving cream, I’m reminded that no mistake we’ve made–big or small–gets to leave a permanent imprint on the canvas of our lives.
Keep the Faith, LifeSpeakers.
