Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

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 YOU teach me to do the 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.'

GOD bless you all!

7 comments:

This post made me teary :( I am currently in the man's shoes, asking the exact same questions. I thank you for sharing this story, it couldn't have come at a better time!!

September 17, 2009 at 4:06 PM  

Very touching. Jesus did die for our sins... something he didn't truly deserve. It was just out of his great love for us.

September 17, 2009 at 5:30 PM  

When someone hurts me, or simply really irritates me, I have to constantly remind myself of how great His forgiveness is to me. That movie, The Passion, was really good for me because it helped me get a more visual grasp on what Christ endured on my behalf.

September 17, 2009 at 6:37 PM  

Tks for the post. We may not forget what some people had done to our lives but with forgiveness, we do not have to be affected by those ever again! And that God's grace not only can heal us but can even make us love them again. I have experienced them myself!

September 18, 2009 at 1:04 AM  

yes! forgiveness....so if anyone finds it impossible to forgive he must look at the cross, Jesus did not only pay for the price of our sins but the sins committed against us....http://lawreal.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-are-persons-criminally-liable.html

September 18, 2009 at 3:51 AM  

Thank you so much for this. It is always good to be reminded what our Lord went though. I will save this and share with my son who is having a difficult time with forgiveness.
God bless

September 22, 2009 at 8:06 AM  

Thank you so much for this. It is always good to be reminded what our Lord went though. I will save this and share with my son who is having a difficult time with forgiveness.
God bless

September 22, 2009 at 8:07 AM  

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