Dear Lillian, Break Free from my sin

Dear Lillian,

I've been reading a book called Breaking Free by Beth Moore. There was an excerpt in the book from a book by Gilda Radner called It's Always Something

When I was little, Dibby told me a story about her cousin who had a dog – just a mutt – and the dog was pregnant. I don’t know how long dogs are pregnant, but she was due to have her puppies in about a week. She was out in the yard one day and got in the way of the lawnmower and her two back legs got cut off. They rushed her to the vet who said, "I can sew her up, or you can put her to sleep if you want. But the puppies are OK – she’ll be able to deliver the puppies.

Dibby’s cousin said, "keep her alive."

So the vet sewed up her backside and over the next week that dog learned how to walk. She didn’t spend any time worrying; she just learned to walk by taking two steps in the front and flipping up her backside and then taking two more steps and flipping up her backside again. She gave birth to six little puppies, all in perfect health. She nursed them and then weaned them. And when they learned to walk, they all walked like her.

The bible says in Exodus 20:5

"You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me..."

 In the book I'm reading, she mentions that God isn't saying you will be punished for my sins, but rather you will be affected by my sins. The choices I make, whether good or bad, will have a direct impact on you and your children. If I become an alcoholic...you obviously will be affected. If I spend money frivolously...you will learn to be careless with money, too. If I speak jealously of others...you will learn to be the same way.

I pray that I am a good example for you. I pray that I don't let me sins and struggles affect you. I need to break free from my sin so I may be an honorable mother.