The Princess and the Pea

"Grandma, will you read The Princess and the Pea to me before I go to bed?" begged Alonya when she and her sister were staying over at Grandma's house. "Oh, you know that story," said Thea. "The princess couldn't sleep because there was a pea under her mattress. Even though there were lots of mattresses on her bed, the pea still kept her awake, and she--" "Don't tell it!" said Alonya. "I want to hear Grandma read it." "I'll read it." Grandma took the book Alonya handed her and read the story. "Bedtime," she announced when she finished. As she tucked the girls in, Grandma began feeling under the mattress. "What are you doing, Grandma?" Alonya asked. "I'm looking for peas, Princess!"Thea giggled. "There aren't any there, Grandma.""Good," said Grandma. "I hope there aren't any in your lives either." She smiled at the puzzled expression on the girls' faces. "The pea in the story reminds me of a time when I did something wrong," Grandma told them. "I took some money from my mother's purse. I thought it didn't matter because it wasn't very much. But my stealing was like the pea in the story. It was hidden, but it really bothered me. Sometimes I would lie awake at night thinking about it." "Just like in The Princess and the Pea!" Alonya cried. "But you're not a princess, Grandma." "In a way I am," said Grandma. "Our heavenly Father is the King of kings, and we're His children, so doesn't that make us princesses?" "Wow! I never thought of that," said Alonya. "What happened next?" "Finally, I couldn't stand trying to hide my sin any longer. I had to confess what I did and ask Jesus and my mother to forgive me." "And did you live happily ever after?" Thea asked, grinning. Grandma laughed. "I must admit I still sin sometimes, but when I think about what happened so long ago, it's a good reminder to always confess my sin. Then I have peace knowing Jesus has forgiven me because He took the punishment for all my sins when He died on the cross." Grandma gave each of the girls a kiss on the forehead and turned off the light. "He wants us to rest in His love and forgiveness--without any peas under our mattresses!" -Lucinda J. Rollings