Lord, please help me to change - Judith Couchman

STUMBLING TOWAR D FREEDO MRosalie maneuvers with suc h aplomb , sh e neve r gets caugh tor pay s for he r transgressions . Sh e recognize s he r sins , though .Rosalie regularl y visit s her town' s tin y Catholic church . Sh e con -fesses her activitie s t o th e priest , ask s for absolution, receive s hi sforgiveness, and trot s out t o exorbitantly spend mone y again ."Catholicism is- a wonderful religion," she tell s a house gues tone evening . "Yo u admit your sins and they'r e no t sin s anymore. "Rosalie's crowning performance begins when, from her officeat home, sh e cracks the computers a t her daughter's workplace .First, Rosalie only alters the amount o f her daughter's paycheck, bu tthen sh e pirates money from the company's accounts .All th e while , sh e keep s confessin g t o th e pries t who , b ynow, comes unglued. The pries t listen s t o her outrageou s admis -sions, but becaus e o f th e confessional booth' s confidentiality , h ecan't tel l anyone or turn Rosali e in t o the authorities ."It's not enoug h t o confess everything," th e pries t warn sRosalie. "Yo u have t o be sorry . Truly sorry." She doesn't follo w hisadvice.Finally, when Rosali e tell s the pries t she's starting a multina -tional busines s t o help peopl e "bea t the system " the wa y she does ,he bang s hi s head agains t a wall and question s Go d afte r sh eleaves.Sound unbelievable ?It is . Rosali e live s in th e film, Rosalie Goes Shopping. Amon gother lessons , th e movi e point s t o th e futilit y of a "faith " tha tdoesn't transfor m u s personally .I regard t o confession, Rosali e go t one thin g right . Sh eidmitted he r sin s daily—and there' s biblica l precedenc efor talking to God tha t often.In Psal m 5:3 , Davi d tol d th e Lord , "Ever y morning yo u hea rmy voice. Ever y morning, I tell yo u wha t I need, an d I wait fo ryour answer. " Davi d interacte d wit h Go d daily , making request sand listenin g for responses. However , he kne w tha t i f sin dwel t i nhis heart, th e Lor d woul d no t hea r him , s o confession figuredinto thos e conversations, to o (Psal m 66:18) .Still, that wasn't enough t o please God .Again i n Psal m 5 , Davi d wrote : "Yo u are no t a God wh o i spleased wit h th e wicked ; yo u d o no t liv e with thos e who do evil .You destroy liars ; th e LOR D hate s those who kil l and tric k others "77