On an otherwise typical Sunday afternoon, I was walking leisurely by myself in a crowded place. The cool summer air blew, bringing along with it the slight fragrance of flowers. As I approached a street corner, I stopped, yielding to oncoming traffic — that which of course had the right of way. At that moment, for no apparent reason, I suddenly imagined a little boy standing next to me.
His name was David, I knew that he was my son.
As the crowd of people around us waited patiently for our turn cross the street, a tennis ball came seemingly out of nowhere and caught the attention of my son. As innocent, naive and ignorant as he was, he dashed after the tennis ball narrowly avoiding the oncoming traffic. My heart dropped and a sigh of relief escaped my body as I saw the traffic lights turn green.
Then without warning, an unremarkable car, like any other — in which I can only imagine was trying to beat the yellow light from moments before — came out of nowhere and hit my son.
And there it was, the cool summer air once again blowing, this time carrying the scent of death.
As I heard tires come to a screeching halt, I ran over to David clutching him in my arms, tears in my eyes and a terrible pain in my heart causing my entire being to tremble uncontrollably. I turned around to see the man who hit my son get out of his car, a single tear running down his face. That’s all I needed to see.
I walked over to this man, and fighting every instinct in my body, I hugged him. How shaken must his soul be after doing what he did? How could he forgive himself for what he’s done if I can’t be there to forgive him first, and help him forgive himself?
Suddenly, as if nothing happened I snapped back to reality. Standing on the same street corner I realized that no more than 5 seconds had passed, yet I felt a deep longing to lift up a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for how he forgives me time and time again.
– – – –
This waking dream illustrates my desire to be a forgiving person, but when it comes time to test my character, will expectation meet reality?
Only if I recognize our capacity for forgiveness, found in the Lord.
– Jesse R.
“I Am, and We are Missionaries”