No one has told me that before
“Mark” admitted to class that when he was very young his dad left his mom. His dad accused her of being pregnant by someone else. Mark can’t forgive his father. He has a lot of pain in his life. His father tried to reconcile but Mark refused. He knows unforgiveness is a sin but he still can’t forgive. He said, “Maybe if he starts a charity for street children (like I was) I will forgive.” Mark is a Muslim and Muslims try to “pay for” their bad deeds by doing good deeds.
I explained to Mark that I can forgive only because I know how much God has forgiven me. Because Jesus died for me, He offers forgiveness as free gift. Mark said something that really moved me. “Teacher, I have not talked about this for 3 years. Everyone else just lectures me to forgive and that unforgiveness is a sin. But when I told you that I could not forgive, you said you would pray for me. And every time you say ‘I will pray for you’, it does something to me…I get a strange feeling. No one has ever told me that before.”
Will you join me in prayer for Mark? He knows pain and hurt that we are all familiar with, but he has none of the Hope that we have. Pray that he will find Jesus, find the joy of salvation and forgiveness and be able to forgive his father then live life to the fullest.
