Archive for The Gathering Place "The Gathering Place" is a web community where people can gather and make new friends, share ideas, enjoy a few laughs and learn about many interesting things together. It is a safe place where friends can correspond with each other about what they love.
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 his 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, and 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 that 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 onto 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 and 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, Jesus asked?
The man answered: "yes Lord"
Jesus asked: Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?
The man answered: "Yes, Lord", and the man sobbed more and more.
Jesus asked: "Have you ever taken something from work
That wasn't yours? "
And the man answered: "Yes Lord."
Jesus asked: "Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain?"
The man, crying now, answered, "Yes Lord."
As Jesus asked many more questions, 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. When Satan comes knocking at your door just simply say, "Jesus will you get that for me?"
