{"id":17325,"date":"2012-08-12T09:10:38","date_gmt":"2012-08-12T07:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lebanesesaints.com\/Home\/?p=17325"},"modified":"2012-08-12T09:10:38","modified_gmt":"2012-08-12T07:10:38","slug":"story-of-the-day-120812","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lebanesesaints.com\/Home\/story\/story-of-the-day-120812\/","title":{"rendered":"Story of The Day- 12\/08\/12"},"content":{"rendered":"

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job. His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment and frustration. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed: \u201cLord, You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot. I don\u2019t know how. It is not fair Lord. I didn\u2019t deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn\u2019t have to forgive As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don\u2019t know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray that you teach me to do this one thing I cannot do \u2013 Teach me To Forgive.\u201d As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them. He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man\u2019s tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak. \u201cHave you ever told a lie?\u201d He asked. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The man answered, \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d \u201cHave you ever been given too much change and kept it?\u201d The man answered, \u201cYes. Lord.\u201d And the man sobbed more and more. \u201cHave you ever taken something from work that wasn\u2019t yours?\u201d Jesus asked. And the man answered, \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d \u201cHave you ever sworn, using my Father\u2019s name in vain?\u201d The man, crying now, answered, \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Jesus asked many more times, \u201cHave you ever . . ?\u201d the man\u2019s crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer, \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jesus said, \u201cI didn\u2019t deserve this either, but I forgive you.\u201d \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may be hard to see how you\u2019re going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Read the following first line slowly and let it sink in. “If God brings you to it \u2013 He will bring you through it.” \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Lord, I love You and I need You, come into my heart, today. For without You I can do nothing.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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