Topic: How to Forgive..
no photo
Tue 04/03/07 09:45 AM
How To Forgive (WOW)

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 told
me 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 following first line slowly and let it sink in.

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

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you!

There are many people who think that there is nothing to forgive or be
forgiven for but we do not always realize is how we may have hurt
someone and they choose to forgive us rather than hold it against us.
Please remember the reason for his gift. Happy Easter!

Classyjeff's photo
Tue 04/03/07 09:51 AM
wow every moving

LAMom's photo
Tue 04/03/07 10:01 AM
WOW !!!

TxsGal3333's photo
Tue 04/03/07 10:14 AM
That was Awesome and very needed at this time thank you for sharing it
flowerforyou

Suede's photo
Tue 04/03/07 11:58 AM
When I am angry with someone that has done me wrong it is like my life
is on hold. Seems I think about the wrong and ponder on how to get even.
But when I forgive them it is a burden lifted…I don’t worry about it
anymore…man, what a great feeling…in reality, it is easier to forgive
than not

Classyjeff's photo
Tue 04/03/07 04:20 PM
my problem isnt forgiving others.. its forgiving myself. i have a hard
time letting go of the things i either have done bad or things i think i
shouldn't of done

NxtThyme's photo
Sun 04/08/07 10:35 AM
That's why I pray "let me give you my burdens daily" 'cos I couldn't
survive otherwise. flowerforyou ±

Classyjeff's photo
Sun 04/08/07 03:10 PM
i try to.. but it feels like a heavy weight on me

JaneBond's photo
Sun 04/08/07 06:30 PM
Meaning to post to this all day but couldn't find the word's.

I had posted a thread earlier to which in it I posted that my heart was
heavy. I closed the thread and was staring at the forum menu when I saw
OleJeb's thread brought up by nxtThyme, who had posted to me in my
thread.

It has taken most of the day to read the post to completion because
everytime I started reading it I could not finish. Far too much had
struck home. The mirror shattered into a million pieces and lay
scattered on the floor by the time I finished reading it.

Thank you nxtThyme for posting in this thread when you did because you
brought it right in front of my eye's. Thank you OleJeb for putting
this up so that when it was time, I would see what I needed to see.

Janeflowerforyou

shenadra's photo
Sun 04/08/07 06:39 PM
Wow...Powerful words...Made me cry...

Made me remember a time in my life when I had to forgive someone(myself)
or I wouldn't have been able to go on....

JaneBond's photo
Mon 04/30/07 05:20 AM
OleJeb...I had to toss through the threads to find this again. I like to
read this one through again, every now and then....to be reminded about
not just forgiving other's but myself.