"Mom?"

"What, son?" 

"I have to tell you something.  Even if it means I get grounded for the rest of my life." 

"What is it honey?"

"I did something really bad ..." 

That was the conversation I heard through the wall in my office at home just last week.  Our 7-yr.-old was taking a shower, and just lost it!  He was crying so hard we could hardly understand what he was saying.  He couldn't go on until he told us that he and his cousin had put something down a pipe in his great-grandpa's (Pop) back yard.  He was afraid "Pop" would never love him again.  He was afraid that we would be so mad at him that he would be "grounded for life." 

I left my chair and headed in to talk with him when he got out of the shower.  He proceded to explain to me exactly what he and his cousin had done.  His cousin had taken the lid off of an underground fuel tank and put rock in the pipe sticking out of the ground.  I immediately called his great-grandfather to let him know.  He asked to talk to our son, but our son just felt too ashamed.  We continued to talk about confessing and our love for him.  We then talked about God's love and forgiveness.

Later that night our son said, "It feels so good to have told you the truth. I am so glad I'm not keeping that secret anymore!"  

Photo found at: images.google.com.