A man was sitting alongside his son’s bed in the intensive care facility at a hospital. He knew his son was terminal, just a matter of time before he passed away. Concerned about his son’s faith, the father began to talk to him about Jesus. However, the son interrupted and said “Dad, I need to tell you about a dream I had.”
The father quietly agreed and listened to his son as the dream is related:
“I dreamed I was in a library filled with file cabinets. Out of sheer curiosity, I opened one of the cabinets, took out one of the file cards, and read its contents. On the card was written a long-forgotten sin I had committed at a young age. Then I pulled out another… and another…yet another. Each file contained cards upon cards of sins I had committed. Thinking I would never get to heaven for all my sins, I became so disheartened and afraid that it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling.
But before I could drown in my sorrows, a man whom I recognized approached me. I was struck with fear once I came to a realization that the man was Jesus. He started pulling out the file cabinets one after the other and with tears in his eyes, he wrote something on each of the cards. When he finished, he turned to me and smiled then vanished.
After a little while I was able to muster up the courage to get up and go to the file cabinets. I opened a drawer, took out one of the cards, then read it. Then I read another, then another, and yet another. On every card was written the words, ‘This Sin is forgiven’”
“Dad, please don’t cry. I know where I am going, so don’t worry about me, OK?”With that, the son quietly passed away.
The father got down on his knees beside the bed…holding his son’s hand, Weeping openly, he prayed giving thanks to God.
When we forgive we know we have done the right thing. We have done what God has asked of us and that will give us peace. Then we can pick up the pieces and go on.
I thank God daily for his wonderful, amazing grace. His forgiveness is my only hope of achieving my goal of heaven.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
4 comments:
"Forgiveness"..
In just a few short paragraphs, Noel you have painted such a pure picture of it.
On the street where we live, we have a neighbor who used to be very nice to us. She was forever coming down to our house and planting little flowers here and there in out little garden, just as she had been doing for years for the whole neighborhood.
Pieces of Ann were blooming everywhere from almost every lawn on the street.
Enter ..one family who for some reason Ann could not stand!
I have never really hated anyone, so when the lady of this family asked me if I could water her plants and go into her house and feed her pet while she and her husband took a vacation, I said, "Sure! Why not?"
From this day on when Ann found it out, her whole attitiude turned sour towards Bernie and me.
Oh.. this put me in such a sad position for weeks and it was breaking my heart. On my steps one day, I found a gift that I had once given to her and THAT was the straw that broke the camel's back, Noel!
I am not a crier, but the flood gates opened then.
Unknown to me, mild hearted Bernie had been suffering along with me,BECAUSE of me.He could not tolerate my sadness.
One night after I had retuned from prayer meeting, Bernie was sitting quietly in a chair watching a TV that waan't even on.
I asked him, "Is everything alright Bernie?How come the rose bushes are strewn all over the lawn?"
"Well", he answered me," I went down to Ann's and gave her a good piece of my mind"
He had too, Noel. I guess he blasted her for the way she had been treating me and it was not a pretty picture!"
The next day when Bernie wasn't around, I went down to apologize for Bernie's action but she would have none of my apologies.
Even though I hadn't even done ANYTHING wrong!
Oh boy hate is just like a cancer!
It took a little time and a lot of help from the Lord for me to even forgive HER.
Finally when I was able to do this, the feelings I got in my cold heart as it melted was incredible!
I even had a strange pity toward that lady.
Bernie hasn't been as successful.
That has been four years now and that lady has turned several other neighbors against us but I think all we can do is like you said Noel..just pick up the pieces and go on.
Too bad though that ever so often, I feel a madness coming over me, not because of myself but because of what she has done to my husband who is such a kind person that he won't even kill a hornet if it gets into our house. He just gently captures it with a jar and throws it outide where it belongs.
How much worse are a mean persons' words than a sting of a bee!
It is one continuing battle for me in this case Noel, but the Lord will not let it get the better of me.
By the way Noel. Bernie had ripped out all the flowers and roses that Ann had ever planted for us and had left them strewn all over the lawn for a couple of weeks. I had dared only once to clean them up!...Only once! And then I just let well enough alone until Bernie made up his mind to clean up the whole ugly mess himself!
Thank you for this good posting.
It has reminded me to keep on keeping on!!
I have to go to work in 15 minutes. Could you please excuse any spelling mistakes as I have no time to check?[if they are not TOO bad!!......Love Terry
Hello Noel..Just dropping by to say hi and wish for you a happy Lord's Day as we thank Him for all the forgiveness He has bestowed upon us.
We are so unworthy of His great love and yet He has given it to us anyway!!
Be happy this day dear Noel and may your week be even more happier!...With Christian love, Terry
Still praying for your precious family and for Diane...
Hope you eat a good meal today Noel Lewis!
We wouldn't want to see you fading away to nothing, although I wouldn't mind doing that myself![just a ltttle bit!]...
It is WAY too quiet here on the western front of Texas, eh everybody?...from Terry..on the Southern side of Welland, Ont, Canada..
NEVER too quiet though to say, God's Bless you all!!
Hey. Thanks for the comment! Great post. I loved the story.
God bless
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