Forgiven

-- Author unknown

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

Interviewing God

Author Unknown
I dreamed I had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.
"So, you would like to interview me?" GOD asked.
"If you have time," I said.

GOD smiled. "My time is eternity... what questions do you have in mind for me?"
"What surprises you the most about humankind?"

GOD answered...
"That they get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again."
"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health."
"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."
"That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they had never lived."

GOD's hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.
And then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

GOD replied, "To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved."
"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."
"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness."
"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them."
"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least."
"To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings."
"To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it differently."
"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."
"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.
"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"

GOD smiled, and said... "Just know that I am here. Always."

The Struggle Counts!

Author Unknown

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
-----

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.
If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!
I asked for Strength... and God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom... and God gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity... and God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for Courage... and God gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for Love... and God gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favors... and God gave me Opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted ... I received everything I needed!

May God Bless You.

May God Bless you with unspeakable joy, not only in the world to come, but in this world also.
May your path be bright and full of light everywhere you go.
May God tell darkness that it must flee at your command.
And, I pray your feet will never stumble out of God's plan.
May the desires of your heart come true, And may you experience Peace in everything you do.
May Goodness, Kindness, and Mercy come your way.
And may you gain Wisdom and grow in the Lord everyday.

A Store In Heaven?

Heaven's Grocery Store
I was walking down life's highway a long time ago. One day I saw a sign that read `Heaven Grocery Store'.

As I got a little closer, the door came wide open, And when I came to myself, I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere. One handed me a basket and said, "My child, shop with care." Everything a Christian needed was in the Grocery Store. And if you couldn't carry them, you could come back for more.

First I got some PATIENCE. LOVE was in the same row. Further down was UNDERSTANDING, you need that wherever you go.

I got a box of WISDOM, a bag or two of FAITH. I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost, for He was all over the place. I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE to help me win the race And though my basket was getting full, I remembered to get some GRACE.

I didn't forget SALVATION, for salvation, that was free. So, I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me. Then I started up the counter to pay the grocery bill, for I thought I had everything to do my Master's will.

As I went up the aisle, I saw PRAYER and I just had to put that in, For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run into SIN. PEACE and JOY were plentiful, they were on the last shelf. SONG and PRAISES were hanging near so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the Angel, "Now how much do I owe?"
He just smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go!"
Again I smiled at him and said, "How much do I really owe?"
The Angel smiled again and said, "My child, Jesus paid your bill a long time ago."