I’m forgiven and …

I’m sorry if you don’t forgive me or you remember who I was back then or you can’t get over what I did,

But I’m forgiven by my Father who sent his Son to come to this earth,

and to do some miracles, and feed the hungry, and give mercy to the merciless,

Then they killed him.  Or he gave his life.

Either way, it was through that killing, that sacrifice, that blood, that I was forgiven.

But it gets better.

Because sacrifice is important, but it’s not unheard of.  Many have died, many have sacrificed,

but the next step made all the difference.

Then He rose from the dead by way of the Father.

That meant my forgiveness wasn’t just from a man, it was from a God, the same God who loves the world.

So you may or may not forgive the person I used to be,

or you may not like me now and decide to talk about that amongst your friends.

But it’s ok, because I’m forgiven.

permanently.

And my God is alive to prove it.

So because of all that, and because I’m still not perfect, but I’m working on it,

I would just like to say, here on this “good day”

I love you.  With all God’s heart.

Marty Holman

Jack Bauer

The following is a sore subject with me, and happens between the hours of 12 am and 12 am the next day.

Last night I watched the two hour adrenaline rush that was 24 via my DVR, which made it about an hour and a half.  It was so crazy I had to walk around the living room for the better part of a half hour of the program.  Without going into detail about the happenings of Jack Bauer, I can tell you this has been one of the best seasons yet!  Which is fascinating because I really disliked season 6.

Now one of the things that is a constant on 24 is that there are always people that you cannot trust.  Anyone may turn out to be a traitor or a terrorist, which got me to thinking about something.  One thing I do not handle well is when someone who I’m very close to drastically becomes someone different.  I’m kind of aware that this is America and anyone can do what they want to do, so please save those comments, I’m just venting.

In fact, this is one of those areas where I could probably work on the art of forgiveness the most.  Watching a husband or a wife decide they’ve  “outgrown” the other, only to justify a new lifestyle which he or she has transitioned.  Or a close friend who somewhere along the line has been talked into the idea that they are not into those of the opposite gender, and then relays the new idea that they never were.  Or even the couple who all of a sudden can’t stand the idea of a culturally relevant church, and decide that the very idea is from Satan.

Now if you’re offended that I’ve brought any of these “offenses to me” up, don’t be.  This post has nothing to do with the offenses.  Maybe we’ll save those topics for another day – maybe not.  This post has everything to do with how I look at these offenses.  When someone in my life makes a drastic change, making them a new person in my eyes, I have a hard time forgiving them.  I become the new Jack Bauer, targeting the offender, and trying desperately to stop the change from happening.

What I’m saying is that it’s difficult for me to buy the “I’m just not that person anymore” change.

Maybe it’s because I live in a dream world.  Maybe it’s because the family history between my parents and both sets of  grandparents maintains about 160 years of marriage straight through (60/59/38).  Maybe it’s because my “never change” baptistic ways which I was indoctrinated as a child are still deep inside fighting the now prevalent idea of evolutionistic theory that runs amok in the things I read.  I don’t know what it is, but I’m just telling you, right here and right now…

I think I need to work on it.  Or do I?