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This has been passedonto me and just wanted to share.

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 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 an d 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 on to 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. Lord I love You and I need You, come into my heart, today. For without You I can do nothing.

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

Forgiving someone else is freeing yourself. Free them, free yourself. Free them eternally, free yourself eternally.

Deciding whether someone else is a "good" person or a "bad" person based upon insufficient data and personal insecurity only keeps you in the prison of your own mind and the world.

Jesus is the Way.

gus

:clap: Hey Frank!! :clap:

Thanks for posting this awesome piece! This part really got to me --> "Jesus said, "I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you." By keeping in mind what Jesus went through, we shift the focus off ourselves, and onto what Jah has done for us, through Christ -- which is infinitely better that any perceived problem we have!

Some scriptures I would recommend anyone to read, are in Matthew 18:23-35, the parable about the slave who owed an unpayable debt to the King. It is very pertinent to the subject of Forgiveness, I especially like the last bit -->

"In like manner my heavenly Father will also deal with YOU if YOU do not forgive each one his brother from YOUR hearts.” -- Matthew 18:35

:read: Jehovah gives what we give. Seems like we better start giving good stuff! Hehehe!! :read:

Thanks mate!

May LOVE be with you!

your bro -- beau! :friends::friends::friends:

Thank you TD,

And I had this printed from Timothy Kline´s now closed forum.

It was posted by a certain John G, so full credit goes to him.

A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school.

For every person they refuse to forgive in their life´s experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag.

They were told to carry this bag with them everywhere for one week, putting it beside their bed at night, on the car seat when driving, on their lap when riding, next to their desk during classes.

Some have their bags became too heavy. The hassle of lugging this around with them made it clear what weight they were carrying spiritually, and how they had to pay attention to it all the time, to not forget to keep leaving it in embarrasing places.

Naturally, the potatoes became moldy, smelly, and began to sprout "eyes."

Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and it is clearly for ourselves! To forgive unloads what would otherwise become a heavy, rotting burden.

Excelent,, Guy's and thanks keep em coming it is a benifit to us all