Weekly Thought from T - Bake Them A Cake - Week of 11-8-10

Happy Day Everyone!

Hope you are all doing really great!  I can't tell you how awesome it was to see you yesterday!  My gosh I have missed you! 

The other day I was out jogging and I ran in to a guy who was walking a German shepherd puppy.  I had to stop and pet it - it was so cute!  I told the guy how precious the dog was - he replied, "Oh gosh he is being NAUGHTY this morning!  Isn't minding me at all!"  I started back on my jog and yelled back - "Well, aren't we all a bit naughty sometimes??"

I kept on my jog and recalled a great story a friend told me.  She told me she recently bought a car - and was really really upset because she felt like the guy she bought it from really took advantage of her.  She felt like she was paying too much - and she was really ticked!  She went to one of the maintenance guys at our church for advice.  His name is Royce. She told him the story......and here was Royce's advice, "I know what you need to do.......bake him a cake!"  She said, "Uhhhhh,excuse me?"  He said, "Yep!  Bake him a cake!  Bake him a cake and then take it to him.  Look him in the eye and tell him you forgive him."

WHAT??  A CAKE??

Let me tell you something.........that's some darn good advice.

And how sad how surprising that response is.  Shocking, frankly.

I mean - it's so much easier to puff our chest, fold our arms, stick our nose in the air and talk about how right we are and how wrong someone else is.

Back to the German shepherd......

Aren't we all a bit naughty sometimes?  Don't we all at some point need forgiveness?  And don't we all at some point need to forgive?

So if we are ALL naughty and at some point ALL need forgiveness - what keeps us from forgiving others?  From baking that cake and telling someone you forgive them?

Right after Christ taught us how to pray in Matthew 6 - he had this to say about forgiveness:

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. "

Ouch.

I mean - I'm not sure he could be any clearer. 

Afterall, aren't we all a bit naughty sometimes?

Forgive.  It's what we have to do.  And I promise you this- when you wrong someone, disappoint, let someone down or hurt someones feelings - you're going to hope and pray they do the same for you.......

I love you.  Always will.

T