“…the Lord has a plan for your life, even amidst the pain. When you put all the hurt into His hands, He will be your Healer, your Redeemer. And, ultimately, no pain is wasted.” June Hunt Twice in my life I’ve done something that I believed was beyond hope. Both were as a result of something I said in haste. When I made a rude remark to a co-worker during our staff meeting, I shocked even myself. Did I really say that out loud?
I knew I was sitting among five people who knew I was a Christian although none of them professed any particular faith. I prayed, and asked my friends to pray, that I might find another job. I truly believed there was no chance I could every again be a witness for Christ in this office. Clearly I had just destroyed any possibility of them seeing Christ in me. But God didn’t open any doors for a job change. Instead, He laid on my heart the need to apologize to each person in the room. I thought I misunderstood; surely I only needed to apologize to Russ, the man I insulted. Again, God convicted my heart to apologize to all five of them. In defiance to my conviction I apologized to the easy ones first—the other four people in the room. They were all gracious and accepted my apology. I relied on office gossip to reach Russ before I did so he would at least be aware of why I was approaching him. But this turned out to be the one time gossip didn’t spread like wildfire. Eventually I breached the wall of my own resistance and spoke to Russ. It turned out better than I expected; he accepted my apology and we moved on. Certainly now, after doing all that God asked, a door would open for another job…but no. I remained in this office to endure the humiliation—even though after several months I was probably the only one that remembered. About a year later, Russ asked if I would meet him in the cafeteria at lunch. I could not have been more shocked to learn he had asked Christ to be his Lord and Savior. I was humbled to learn that God had used my apology as one of the things that caused Russ to pursue the truth—was Christ really who He claimed to be. Today I look back at this episode and don’t even remember the pain of humiliation. All I remember now is, I will see a new brother in heaven someday. And, since then, his wife and two children have also come to Christ and are growing in their relationship with Him. Is there some guilty pain that feels impossible to bear? Are you sure there is no way for your pain to be redeemed? Will you trust God that doing the right thing—even if it means apologizing—will not be wasted? Lord, thank You for turning even my most embarrassing mistakes into a treasured memory; and thank You for not wasting my pain. Amen “Create in me a clean heart, O God…and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee.” Psalm 51: 10a, 12b-13 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: June Hunt (1944- ) is an American writer, psychologist and founder of Hope for the Heart Ministries which reaches international audiences with hopeful encouragement.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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