To Reflect... Flowers of Forgiveness
"and if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well" (Mathew 5:40). One day, when Stan Mooneyham walked along a trail in East Africa with some friends, he smelled a delicious perfume in the air. He looked up at the trees, and around at the bushes, trying to discover where that marvellous frangrance came from. Seeing Stan's effort his friends told him to look down, to the small blue flowers along the trail. While they crushed the tiny flowers with their feet, their perfume would fill the air. His friends told him: "We call them the flowers of forgiveness". They d o not wait for us to forgive them for crushing them. They do not send their perfume in small doses, nor do they expect anything in return from us. They do not wait for excuses; they freely forgive, completely and richly. What a moving example of so gr eat a forgiveness! And we, are we ready to forgive? Are we ready to forget the evil that is done to us, instead of revengeful returning the evil, do we understand that the Lord desires that our attitudes, though we are hurt, should be pure love? Are we convinced that we should shine even when the hurts stimulate us to keep the light turned off? The most effective revenge of a true Christian is in reaching out to whoever turns his back on you; it is to smile with sympathy to whoever frowns with anger; it is to help win the person who works only to destroy you. The world is perishing in darkness ... we walk in the presence of God. The world hoards selfishness ... we distribute generosity. The world preaches unbelief ... we believe and share our faith. If a person insists on taking away your peace, take the time to offer him your love, your hope and your joy, and your abundant life, a hand to help him reach Heaven. Sow, each day, flowers of forgiveness in your heart. The world around you will be more beautiful, more agreeable, more perfumed. Paulo Barbosa A blind in internet
