How To Forgive

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 ver y 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 shoulder.

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!


I hope this gives us a lesson.