FORGIVENESS
A Message From Once A Prisoner In Germany
It was the last weekend of the 1964 baseball season. Bill Valentine was umpiring a game between the Detriot Tigers and the New York Yankees. Dave Wickersham was pitching for Detriot, and he had 19 victories for the season. One more victory will be a sign of stardom; and he would be the best player for that season. His name was on the varge of entering the record book.
But it wasn´t to be. After a close play, Wickersham tapped the umpire (who had already collected some money from Gamblers to sell the match) on the shoulder to ask him to be more vigilant after he noticed a foul play which he believed the corrupt umpire ignored. Touching an umpire is against the rules, so Valentine tossed Wickersham from the game depriving him of his chance for a 20 – win season. His dreams was shattered he was broken, and people blammed him for their losses.
For the next 39 years, Valentine lived with a growing regret for booting the pitcher (Wickersham) in that split – second decision. But he doesn´t carry that regret anymore. Last year, Wickersham who later became a Christian, met the umpire in a train station. He volunteered to take him home, where he announced in front of his family that “he was right in his decision in 1964“; and that he held no hard feelings. That statement lifted a weight of regret from valentine´s sholders, who broke down and cried.
LESSONS!
Grudges will hold you back. You´ll never get ahead as long as you are trying to get even with somebody. Never! Jesus said “Make the first move; make things right (Matthew 5: 25). When you´re been hurt by a friends backstabbing, a teacher´s unfair treatment, or a parent´s careless. Words; unforgiveness will cost you more than just your temper. It will damage your relationships, distract you from your work, accelerate the aging process, cause stress and depression, make you feel unhealth, and stop you from enjoying life.
Forgiveness, on the other hand, wipes the slate clean and reverses much of the damages that has already been done. People, who forgive feel better about themselves and feel less stressed. Check out these two scriptures:
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Do not laugh when your enemy falls. Do not crow over his collapse (Proverbs 24: 17)
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If you see your enemy hungry … buy that person lunch; If he is thirsty … get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him (Romans 12: 20)
Do you remember when you were little, a friend took your toy and you thought you would hate them forever? But minutes later you were back playing together like nothing ever happened. Well, Jesus said that unless you learn to think like a child, you won´t enjoy the benefits of His Kingdom.
Children don´t dwell on the past; they live in the present, never worry about the future, and forgive quickly.
In Genesis chapter 45, Joseph lifted a burden of guilt from his brothers, who sold him into slavery something far more serious than a simple misunderstanding. Yet he was willing to forgive them.
Forgiveness is a great strategy for life. So ask yourself today, “Is there someone I need to forgive? Then do it as quickly as possible so that both of you can be free.
The best way to revange is to forgive and reconcile. (Kaycee while in prison)
Forgiveness is the gate way to reconciliation! While reconciliation is the golden gate to restoration!! And restoration will finally turn your stress into success and your regret into rejoice. (Pastor Evans Izuwa)
