UNFORGIVENESS

Ok, Short story

As we all have heard one of the many crazes in this modern (but not necessarily mature) world is bungee jumping. Some poor unfortunate Chap lacking a lot in his upper extremities parts company with a prearranged amount of green and allows the receiver of his hard earned to wrap some gaily colored cords around his ankles and the first party then leaves the company of the second party by falling off some tower, bridge or in some cases a plane hundreds of feet towards the ground and on the way down laments the fact that he wore blue pants instead of brown and as he walks away later followed by barking dogs and flies he carries the last recorded moments of his shattered manhood in a buy one get the second one free video tape.

Meanwhile, about 9000 miles to the right in the middle of field in Ireland, a group of local enthusiasts have decided to take the art of the bungee phenomenon to a whole new exciting level. Three lucky individuals attach one end of the good old bungee to a large tree and the other end around their waists. In front of the lads spaced out at 15 yard intervals are tables and upon each table is a pint of their favorite beverage. The idea is to run from the tree in an orderly fashion to the first table, drink the pint and then proceed to the next table and repeat the exercise until they reach the last table. I have been told that no one has ever sipped the beer on the last table and that the losers have become connoisseurs of hospital food. Oh the sport is called BUNGY RUNNING

Ok you ask what is the connection between Bungee stuff and unforgiveness. Well close your eyes (later) and think of someone you do not like. Why do you not like them, have they hurt you, slandered you, physically abused you, cursed you any number of things. These events may have happened a long time ago and you may think they are all behind you and if you have taken the proper action they may very well be, but if you still harbor unforgiveness towards that person or persons you will carry those unhealed memories until you die, not only will they affect you mentally but all the relationships you encounter and eventually in many cases cause sickness and premature death. If one part of your body hurts the whole body suffers and not only you but those around you.

For each person that has sinned against you and you have chosen not to forgive it is like attaching a bungee cord between you and them and obviously the same if you have sinned against them. No matter how hard you try to get away eventually the strain will become too much and the memory will raise its ugly head and affect you all over again and anyone you're with etc, the more cords you have the more depressed you become. You can try drugs, alcohol, even moving to another country but you will never escape. Hey I know I have tried and failed miserably. Now you can easily justify your unforgiveness and in this don't get mad get even world you will find plenty of people to rally to your cause. Better still become an activist against what was done to you but honestly none of this will truly heal you or make you a whole person and you will never truly enjoy peace in your life.

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As we accept Jesus into our hearts and receive forgiveness for our sins he will then (at a pace we can handle) ask us to forgive those who have sinned against us and as each cord is broken we begin to walk a life of true freedom the likes of which we have never known before. We will then discover talents and gifts that we never knew we had or already knew but lacked the courage to act upon it. We will greatly bless those around us and an even greater reward will be that as Jesus sets us free he will also set free our children, our family and so on.

The way I see it is you have a choice. God will not force you; he wants you to come to him of y our own free will. You can continue your life as it is and possibly end up like the poor old Irish boys slammed drunk against the tree right back where they started from or like the first guy let someone else profit from your life or behind door number three knock and Jesus will come in and fellowship with you and set you free and take you on to a much better ride that you will never forget. Jesus is High Adventure, YOUR MOVE...................