A little boy came to the Washington Monument and noticed a guard standing nearby. The little boy looked up at the guard and said, "I want to buy it."

The guard stooped down and said, "How much do you have?" Reaching into his pocket, the boy pulled out a quarter.

"That's not enough," the guard replied.

The boy replied, "I thought you would say that." So he pulled out nine cents more.

The guard looked down at the boy and said,"You need to understand three things. First, 34 cents is not enough. In fact, $34 million is not enough to buy the Washington Monument. Second, the Washington Monument is not for sale. Third, if you are an American citizen, the Washington Monument already belongs to you."

This teaches us three things about forgiveness. First, you cannot earn it. Second, it is not for sale. Third, if you have accepted Christ, you already have it.