Hearing Forgiveness
A funny thing happened to me on the way to the airport Wednesday at 4:30 AM. I instead wound up at the hospital being told I had a TIA which is like a mild stroke. I’m taking meds and am headed back for a full check up and follow up and I’m sure I’ll be fine. Hearing the word “stroke” on Wednesday was almost surreal. It’s one of those life changing moments all in a single word. It hit me that somehow I had forgotten that after choosing life or death everything else really is pretty much optional. I wish that I could give you all what that realization feels like but instead I’ll ask that you please don’t wait to tell those you love that you love them, please don’t wait to do that random act of kindness and if you are waiting for that “perfect” moment that perfect moment is NOW! A good friend gave me a book called Finding the Way. In there was a story that I read about a father who ran an advertisement in a local newspaper. The ad read, “Johnny, All is forgiven. Your father wishes to meet you at the center of town at 8:00 PM.” That night hundreds of young men appeared to meet one very puzzled father. How many of our friends or us suffer daily and are waiting to hear the word “forgiven”. How many weeks or months are spent deciding whether to offer forgiveness? And if we do offer forgiveness do we ever forgive ourselves? And, all the while, God is knocking at our door patiently awaiting on us to finally hear the message - “All is forgiven”. Apparently, I had to have a minor stroke before I was willing to hear this but I finally got it!