Sure we want forgiveness, but we also kind of want to hear, “This much is okay, but that much? Yeah, that’s probably way too far.” So when we ask, “Will God forgive me?” and the answer comes back, “Yes! He already has and will continue to every time,” it’s not a good enough answer for us.

So when we ask, “Will God forgive me?” perhaps what we’re really looking for is a limit, a boundary, a target to aim for. We pile blame, guilt, and shame onto ourselves and ask, again, about the size of God’s shovel. If you think about it, the broadest limit we’ll ever experience firsthand is a lifetime, which is still pretty tiny in the grand scheme of things. Whether it be an expiration date, a size, the length of time we’re able to record on social media, or the number of class periods before we can go home. Think about this: Everything we’ve ever known has had a starting point and an ending point. People like to measure things-and it can become our fatal flaw. Does it frustrate you when your favorite vlogger uses a product and then says they’ll post a link for a “similar” product in the description box below? Or what about when you’re trying to cook a meal to match a picture and the recipe calls for a “dash” or a “pinch” of a certain ingredient? What does this have to do with “I messed up, will God forgive me?” It’s this: There’s something about knowing the “exactly” factor that gives us peace of mind.

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