HOW TO FORGIVE

 :   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 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, 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, 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?" He asked?
 The man answered - "yes, Lord."
 
 "Have you ever been given too much change and kept  it?"

 The man answered - " yes. Lord."  And the man sobbed
 more and more.
 
 "Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't
 yours?" Jesus asked?
 And the man answered - "yes, Lord."
 
 "Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain?
 "
 The man, crying now, answered - "yes, Lord."
 
 As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"?
 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 forgave 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. Read the following first
 line slowly and let it sink in.  
 
 If God brings you to it - He will see you through it.

Lord I love You and I need You, come into my heart,
 today. For without You I can do nothing.