Did you ever hope you...
Illustration
Did you ever hope you could be a hero? Save all the children on your school bus? Solve a
crime? Once, on my way to the church, from blocks away, I saw black smoke near it. As
I approached, I could tell our building wasn't ablaze, but still didn't know the source.
Parking the car, I ran around the corner to see an older vehicle ablaze. I heard women whimpering. Adrenaline surging, I rushed forward, trying to work up courage. I saw no one. Then a man ran from behind it and yelled, "Get away. It's going to blow." Yielding to his order, and to reason, I backed off. Just then, the fuel exploded reducing the car to blistered metal. I imagined charred bodies inside. My hesitation shamed me.
Then I heard whimpering again. Hidden from my view, the car's driver and her sister sat on the opposite curb watching. I'd have died for nothing.
Some spend time on things of less value than burnt automobiles -- like hate and bitterness. We've been wronged; we claim a right to our fury.
If you carry long-term anger, consider this: First, you'll suffer more than the person with whom you are angry. "Hating people is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat," wrote Harry Emerson Fosdick. Second, you may be helping your foe. "Blessed are you when men hate you," said Jesus (Luke 6:22). By hating your enemies, you might bring God's blessings on them.
Parking the car, I ran around the corner to see an older vehicle ablaze. I heard women whimpering. Adrenaline surging, I rushed forward, trying to work up courage. I saw no one. Then a man ran from behind it and yelled, "Get away. It's going to blow." Yielding to his order, and to reason, I backed off. Just then, the fuel exploded reducing the car to blistered metal. I imagined charred bodies inside. My hesitation shamed me.
Then I heard whimpering again. Hidden from my view, the car's driver and her sister sat on the opposite curb watching. I'd have died for nothing.
Some spend time on things of less value than burnt automobiles -- like hate and bitterness. We've been wronged; we claim a right to our fury.
If you carry long-term anger, consider this: First, you'll suffer more than the person with whom you are angry. "Hating people is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat," wrote Harry Emerson Fosdick. Second, you may be helping your foe. "Blessed are you when men hate you," said Jesus (Luke 6:22). By hating your enemies, you might bring God's blessings on them.
