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Advise to a young cousin on the importance of family. |
What Would Jesus Do? He would forgive you as often as necessary. He would restore full trust even though He knows that you will fall again. As He told Peter, you will deny me three times before the cock crows, and Peter responded "Not I my Lord," and immediately went away and denied Him. Yet Jesus forgave Peter, and made Him one of His greatest disciples. As Christians, we must practice true forgiveness immediately, not down the road, not later but immediately. Think about this. If your brother slaps you on one cheek, turn ye also the other -- He did not say go away, think about it, cool off, and then come back and turn the other. I realize I am all up in somebody else's business, but I believe that we are keepers one of another, and that when you suffer, I suffer also. This split in your family is truly hurting me, and I wish that I had the power to heal each of you. To stop the hurt, and to mend your broken spirits. Family is so important to me. Although I do not see you as often as I would like, I think about you often, and pray that God is keeping you safe from all harm and danger. This week on my way to work, I experienced something that I had never even dreamed of, and certainly would have been glad to avoid. As I drove along Howard Street in Baltimore, I had to stop at the light at Preston. I stopped behind a green van. When the light changed the van slowly moved forward, then suddenly hit the gas really hard and the van shot forward like a bullet, jumped the curb, knocked down a tree, and hit a telegraph pole. The car began filling with smoke, we tried to open the door, but it was locked. Finally, two guys were able to kick in the glass and open the door. They pulled the man out of the van, laid him on the ground and began CPR (the man was already turning blue). They got a pulse for a few minutes, but it did not last. In an instance, he was gone to meet His maker. I watched as his life forces left his body, and at that moment, I felt so helpless, but I understood immediately how quickly we can leave this life, and how important it is for our lives to be in order and in accordance with Jesus Christ. In a fleeting moment, he was gone. What is my point? Life is too short to continue this feud. It is too precious to waste even another minute debating who is right, and who is wrong for in a twinkling of an eye either one of us could be on our way to meet our maker, and we will have left behind this unfinished business. In a fleeting moment, you and I will be gone. My family, please forgive yourselves, and then each other because to forgive is Christ like. Anything less than pure forgiveness will hinder God forgiving us. I love you. I pray that God will harden not your heart, but open it up to show you His mercy. Please have a blessed day, and know that God is Love. |