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Old 03-19-2008, 12:05 AM   #68
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Re: Very Disturbing news about Clint George

Quote:
Ricky Wood wrote: View Post
When I was a child, my father physically and emotionally abused me in unimaginable ways. I apparently repressed the memories of the abuse for many years. Later in life I was visiting some family and I heard what sounded like the physical abuse of a child in the next apartment. I "woke" up on the floor in a fetal position. Memories of the abuse came flooding into my mind. I became a very angry and bitter person. I sent my dad an email detailing some of my memories and letting him know what a terrible and evil human being he was. I cut off contact with him for several years. How could he have done such evil things to his own child? What a despicable human being he must be. His sins were surely greater than my own; after all, I had never done such despicable things to my children. In fact, I had never layed a hand on my children. I was surely a superior human being. Then one day I received a call; dad was in the hospital and his condition was critical. I debated whether or not to go to the hospital. I went. He had been in a coma and the moment I walked in the room he awoke, looked me in the eye, and mouthed these two words: I'm sorry. At that moment I forgave him. He recovered and lived several more years before dying of lymphoma cancer. What I learned about myself was that, initially I could not forgive him because I felt his sins were greater than mine. What I have since discovered is that only when we think our sins are less than another's can we not forgive them. When our sins are not as great or as evil as our neighbor's, it is much easier to condemn them. I now try to withhold my judgment and condemnation of others. There are plenty of others who are more than willing to accept that responsibility.
Amen Ricky I have had that exact same experiance too...

A man I know and trust said the most powerful idea to emerge out of the Christian Religion was the ideal of forgiveness...

Any man or woman who could embrace and practice it in thier own life would become the most powerful of all spiritual warriors...

God Bless You.

William Hazen
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