Let's have a Forgiving Christmas.........

Let me share this story with you, one story that i heard 18 years ago in one of the sermons and it still lingers in my memory bank after all these years, so it goes...............

There is this senior pastor in Malawi,who suddenly dies from heart attack at the age of 48, the whole church is saddened by his death, a grand funeral is arranged by the congregation, his body lies there with all pomposity and all its grandeur.

Few hours before his burial, the entire congregation who has converged that suddenly witness a miracle taking place, a miracle that they could only hear from the Bible, this senior pastor suddenly is risen from the death and he comes back to life.

Everyone is in awe of the miracle,so everyone rushes to this senior pastor to hear the first hand account from this senior pastor so he is asked of this question, " dear our beloved pastor, did you see heaven, how it is like being there?"

With tears rolling down, the senior pastor begins to share his experience of death and of heaven, he says, " I knew i was going to meet the Maker,and on the way i was stopped by two guardian angels at the gate before entering into heaven, i could see heaven not so far away from me, but i was told by the angels that i did not belong there. I was angry with god, and i told the angels how could this be, i have done all the good deeds, bringing so many people to Christ, why cant i be in Heaven."

Then the angels say," you cant enter heaven despite all the good deeds you have done, simply because there is still some hatred, some unforgiveness in you that you are not willing to forego and Heaven has no place for such kind of person, and you know very well what your unforgiveness is all about,"

The story is kind of long, but i hope the gist of this story is hereby understood by you and me, so Christmas is nigh, let us learn to let go of our bitterness, the hatred and resentment towards those that we harbor all these ill feeling.

May be just like you, i have my share of these same kind of feelings, but i know the good Lord is saying," for i have forgiven you, why cant you therefore forgive your trangressors"

You hate those who stab on your back, you despise those who have never repay the good things you have done for them, you loathe those who have suddenly severed the ties of friendship with you and many many more.

Let us learn to forgive, i know it is hard but harbouring the hatred is even harder,you agree with me?

Merry Christmas everyone, i am happy for those blogger friends i have made in 2009, and i am even more greatful to those who have stayed with me since i started blogging, i appreciate you all and sincerely I LOVE YOU guys.

FAMILY FIRST NO MATTER WHAT

P/S : I've always liked this Malay saying. " Maaf, Zahir dan Batin"