 Forgive? How can I? (32 views) Subscribe   
  From:  Minister Falcon (OSMFalcon)     11/16/2002 6:09 am  
To:  ALL   (1 of 2)  
 
  492.1  
 
FORGIVE?  How can I?

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job. His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment, and frustration.

Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there, and with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

"Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have toldme to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot. I don't know how. It is not fair Lord. I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray that you teach me to do this one thing I cannot do - Teach me To Forgive."

As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because, where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of Wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them. He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head.

Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their Eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak. Have you ever told a lie, he asked? The man answered - yes Lord.

Have you ever been given too much change and kept it? The man answered yes Lord. And the man sobbed more and more.

Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours, Jesus asked? And the man answered yes Lord.

Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain? The man, crying now, answered yes Lord.

As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer yes Lord.

Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before. Jesus said, I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you.

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is. Read the first line slowly and let it sink in. This is simple, and important.  Read on....This first line is deep.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it. 

Lord I love You and I need You, come into my heart, today. For without You I can do
nothing.

Author known to God
 
  
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   From:  123four   11/16/2002 9:56 pm  
To:  Minister Falcon (OSMFalcon)    (2 of 2)  
 
  492.2 in reply to 492.1  
 
Very beautiful. I can vouch that the best thing to do is to always forgive. A great deal of the time we are dealing with people who are not born again and so we could not even expect these people to obey God or to know the seriousness of their behavior. Even a lot of Christians, especially newborns do not know until years later what they may have done that was very very hurtful to someone else. I 
once had a choice, as we all do, to forgive or not. I chose not to. 
Let me tell you the pain of the unforgiveness rested in me, and in 
time I came to forgive that person wholly and to love that person. Itwas something I thought I could simply not do. When it came right down to the line, I hadn't wanted to forgive. Oh, there is so much 
joy in forgiving and just giving all to God. It's a joy I would never want to miss again. There is peace in forgiving others, and joy like nothing else. I would urge everyone to just wildly forgive all who may have wronged you , just do it anyway. God will place forgiveness in your heart, when you are ready to do it. 
Editing to add here, that there are some who are so full of the spirit of unforgiveness that they will not even go to church. Someone maybe 15 or 20 years ago offended them, and they have stayed away from the body since that time!!!! I would encourage anyone that this has happened to, to go back, be an active part of the body,within the very body of Christ. The church is God's creation and is always His will. 



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Edited 11/17/2002 1:00:51 AM ET by 123four 
  
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