By Ann Farabee

If only I had —

My thoughts beyond those four words are a bit too personal to share.

We all have to deal with our “if only I had’s” in life, don’t we?

Seems odd, doesn’t it? Most everything in life can now be changed, but changing an “if only I had” can be very difficult to change — and sometimes impossible to change.

What if we could take one of those “if only I had’s” away?

What if it became repairable? What if the slate could be wiped clean?

What if?

Have you ever had someone you owe money to tell you to just forget about it and wipe the slate clean? I have.

Have you ever had someone that you hurt totally and completely choose to forgive you and wipe the slate clean? I have.

Have you ever watched a classroom full of students using a whiteboard and wipe the slate clean? I have.

My students loved using the whiteboards. Everyone had one to use, the had a marker of their color choice and everyone had an eraser.

I would put a math problem on the board and they would work it out on their whiteboard. That was a lot more fun than using paper and pencil. They loved being able to erase their mistakes. On the whiteboard, there was no way to detect that the incorrect answer had been written on their first. Their slate had been wiped clean.

One time, my family had rented a video to watch at home, and somehow it went missing. I searched and searched and then I forgot about it. (I am not liable for this years later, am I?) Much later, I went to the video store to rent another video. At the checkout, I was informed that I still had one checked out. I froze in fear. I saw a sign in the store that made me realize that not returning a video was a crime.

Apparently, the fear on my face was enough because after a bit of research by the store employees, I was told there was no additional charge and to forget about it.

That, my friends, was wiping the slate clean.

That fear, though short-lived, was real. For a second, I wondered if they would actually charge me all those late fees. It would have been a debt that was due that I could not afford to pay.

The slate was wiped clean. In spite of my crime — I mean my mistake — I was still accepted and considered to be a customer of the video store.

Sometimes, those white boards were still a little smudgy after our math lessons.

That was when everyone’s favorite part of using the whiteboard came — each student used a spray bottle and a cloth to wipe it clean.

No matter how many marks were on it, wiping it clean happened almost immediately.

I love when Jesus picks up that whiteboard in heaven and says, “The slate has been wiped clean.” I will save you, guide you, give you rest and give you the Holy Spirit. I will give you a home in heaven.