If you accept and bear the blame,
if sorrow and remorse are real,
it’s not the time to hide in shame;
it’s time to kneel.

If you are anxious to confess
your sin and change, but know not how,
it’s not the time for hopelessness;
it’s time to bow.

When justice claims that you repair
a wrong or harm you can’t undo,
it’s not the time to court despair;
it’s time you knew

that Jesus Christ spared you the rod.
Accept His will; His voice obey.
It’s time to humbly speak with God;
it’s time to pray.

I wrote this short poem for a chapter in The Doll in McCallaway’s Store. When we recognize our error, and we desire to repent, we must remember that it is never enough to forsake the sin; true repentance always requires confessing to God and asking His forgiveness. That is not easy to do, because the shame we feel for the mistake—and feeling ashamed is a good thing—keeps us from facing Him. In the novel, Camille’s grandmother’s poem serves as a reminder to her of this need to pray. Perhaps it may serve as a reminder for someone else, too.