BUDDY'S DAD

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

With tears welling up in his eyes he shared his journey. 

The meeting had just wrapped.  A group of amazing and passionate followers of Christ were heeding the call to the addicted of Clark County and had called me to share a little of our experience from this year of collaboration.  They have a house on the “rough” part of town and they want to become a safe haven for those seeking recovery.  Pray for “Celebrate Recovery House” of Clark County and the many things that I BELIEVE and KNOW will follow it!

But back to the “journey”.

His father was an abusive alcoholic.  His years of neglect, anger and hurt had taken their toll on “Buddy”.  Now a father of beautiful twins and a dedicated man of GOD he had spent years shielding himself and his now growing family from the pain while his anger swelled. 

And yet as Buddy’s father’s health began to fail, as the indiscriminate damage of daily cases of beer and chain smoking came to collect, Buddy was moved by the Holy Spirit to see his father not with eyes of anger but with the eyes of mercy; the eyes of Jesus.

He went on to describe the seminal moments went he came to his father and offered his forgiveness and then the amazing day at the hospital bedside when his forgiven father took the step toward our FATHER and with his final few breaths surrendered and accepted Him.

It was then that GOD allowed Buddy to tell his father an avid hunter and fisherman, that where he was now going the fish were big and the rabbits were slow. And Buddy says his dad grinned wide with tears streaming and not long thereafter left this earth to spend eternity with the Fisher of men.

This story speaks to the beauty of forgiveness.

Buddy emulated his FATHER, our FATHER, who forgave when forgiveness didn’t seem possible.

There all three were crucified—Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.  “Father, forgive these people,” Jesus said, “for they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 20:33-34 (LB)

Buddy remembered that we will never forgive anyone more than the LORD has already forgiven us.  So he forgave.

Ask yourself do you have a “Buddy’s dad” in your life, someone who needs to be forgiven?  Is it hard to consider the thought of forgiving that one who hurt you?

The Bible says… 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)

And I know you may be saying today, “I want to forgive, but it’s so hard. I don’t know if I can do it!” Well be encouraged by Buddy that he realized in his own strength wherewithal he couldn’t do it, but seeing his father with the heart of JESUS he quickly realized he could forgive–no matter what had been done to him.

So can we.

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” ― C.S. Lewis

I love you all…

Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)