Page 6 - Senior Beacon - January 2020
‘LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY’ JAN MCLAUGHLIN
Director of Prayer for Prisoners International
DOES YOUR HEART HAVE A TUMMY ACHE?
G
od has a way of speaking to the secret most part of my heart even when I don’t want to hear Him. His message comes through, loud and clear. Since becoming a Christian over 45 years ago I have received in my often stubborn and reluctant heart countless messages and lessons from Jesus. The message this time wasn’t new. I’ve heard it before. “Jan, you must forgive.� This time, the message was regarding my son who had betrayed me. So, you wonder. How did He give me the message? How do I know I’m hearing from God? If you are a believer and have walked with the
Lord for any length of time, you’ve heard from Him too. You know the answer. It’s that constant nudge, the movie that speaks of the importance of forgiveness, the devotional that reminds, “Jesus said, if you forgive others, my Father in heaven will forgive you.� All the above and more invade my thought life, my leisure life, my prayer life and nearly every waking moment. For several months, my anger has burned against my son and even though it is warranted, I have no choice but to forgive him. The reminders begin as subtle prodding. Then they become more intense, deafening. For example, while I watched the last of the Sarah Plain and Tall movie series, Winter’s End, Jacob’s father returns after years of estrangement. Jacob struggles with anger and unforgiveness until he gives his father an opportunity to tell him what really happened in the past. Jacob forgives and in a tender moment embraces his father, both in tears. An excellent book from Voice of the Martyrs, Hearts of Fire, Eight Women in the Underground Church and Their Stories of Costly Faith left me reeling. In 1999 Gladys Staines lost her husband and two small sons who were burned alive in a jeep set afire by angry Hindu zealots in a small Indian village. My heart ached for Gladys and her daughter as I read about the horrible
attack. At the funeral for her husband and 5 and 7-year-old sons. Gladys and her daughter sang Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow at their memorial service. In a statement to the press she said, “I am thankful that God allowed them to suffer for His sake.� When people asked her how she could forgive such evil this is her response: “You have to forgive. Forgiveness brings healing.� Gladys’s inconceivable response to the cruel and barbaric murder of her husband and sons in addition to her words on forgiveness pierced my heart with guilt. How petty my silly upset over my son’s behavior is after reading what Gladys and her family suffered. With each message from the Father, my name is inserted. “Jan, you have to forgive. Forgiveness brings healing.� I know this is true. Honestly, I don’t think my son knows I am angry with him. This sounds ridiculous and as I write it, even more so. My favorite chide from my Father is the one from David Jeremiah’s Turning Point devotional. Three-year-old Holland was arguing with her mom during bedtime. Finally, her mother Mary Katherine Backstrom, tucked the girl in, saying firmly, “I love you, Holland, but not another word tonight. You are going to sleep now. I’m done fussing with you over stuffed animals.� But Holland had one more thing to say: “Mommy, I forgive you.� Mary Katherine didn’t know Holland even knew
the word forgive, so she asked what she meant. The girl said, “It means you were wrong and I’m tired of being mad and now I’m going to sleep, and my heart won’t have a tummy ache.� Dr. Jeremiah’s wise counsel is that when we forgive someone, we aren’t condoning their actions. It means we are tired of being angry and we are letting it go so our heart won’t ache. On the cross, Jesus forgave those who were crucifying Him. He plead with the Father to forgive them. “They know not what they do� (Luke 23:34 NLT). Do you have someone you need to forgive? Just DO it! Do it before you go to bed tonight so you can sleep, and your “heart won’t have a tummy ache.� As the Spirit leads call, write or meet with that person and let them know you forgive them. What a wonderful way to begin the new year for both of you. Ponder this. Jesus told us to pray, “. . . and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us� (Matthew 6:12 NLT). How do you want your Father to forgive you? The Apostle Paul admonishes . . . And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.� Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil (Eph. 4:6-7 NLT). Š 2020 Jan McLaughlin - Jan is Director of Prayer For Prisoners International and can be reached by e-mail – Jan@PrayerForPrisoners. org. or by phone 719-275-6971
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