Two powerful words
I have dealt quite a bit with children all ages, and the age that strikes my mind, in particular, is the 1-1/2 to 2year olds. If they get in a quarrel or have done something that requires apologizing it is ironic to see how difficult and how stubborn they can be, even at that age, with saying the words “I’m sorry.” They can say anything else, but those two simple words just seem to prick their little hearts with guilt.
When I was first in church, I was working with one my future sisters-in-law, at the request of my fiancé. I was to help her milk cows in the morning and evening and do various chores that needed to be done on the family farm. I was an adult in my early 20’s, and she was a spirited junior in high school. The tension every day was pretty high. She sensed that I was an invader, and would give me the proverbial “look of death,” as she walked by, and made snide comments as well. She played the worst music that you could imagine just to get on my nerves. By the second day, I had enough. I made a comment back, and then the fireworks just flew. We screamed and argued for a good while, finished what we were doing and I went home. I was supposed to help her in the evening chores and knew she wasn’t expecting my return after that blow-up. But, as I lay there on the floor replaying the day’s events, the Lord spoke to me and said, “You must go over there and say you are sorry.”
I said “Lord, but I didn’t do anything wrong! She started it and she’s the one who needs to apologize, not me.” I have to say, it did prick my heart and I was not looking forward to what I had to do. I drove over to her parent’s farm and met her for evening chores. She just looked at me with all the hatred you could imagine. I had a lump in my throat and swallowed hard. I just waited a few moments in the silence and finally said, “Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened this morning.” And the strangest thing I have ever experienced happened! She burst into tears and started spilling all of her hurts out to me. We gave each other a big hug, and from that day forward the world was turned right side up. Our relationship grew stronger and stronger. We agreed on the Oldies Station, and she became almost like my very own sister, and I loved her to pieces.
You see, sometimes we just need to bite the bullet, swallow our pride and regardless of who started what, we need to be as Christ would have us to be and say those two simple, yet powerful words, “I’M SORRY!”
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind: charity envieth not; charity vaunteth, not itself, and not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemingly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in the iniquity, but rejoice in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth, but whether there be prophesies, they shall fail, whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
1 Cor. 13:3-8
Charity: Synonyms are kindness, tolerance, understanding, goodwill, self-sacrifice, selflessness, patience, kindheartedness.
Defined as Love.
Let’s also remember that Christ loves us no matter what we do. How are we to show the love of Christ if we are unable to forgive or say I’m sorry.
