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A Lesson in the Afternoon
Yenny Kartika Official Writer
1057Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Bible Reading for a Year [bible]psalm89[/bible]; [bible]0luke9[/bible]; [bible]jerem25-26[/bible]
During the summer high school reunion in the afternoon, someone behind me tapped me on my shoulder. As my eyes drifted over the woman’s name tag, my mind drifted back in time. I remembered a tightly folded note that had been shoved through the slot on my locker. It had contained cruel words of rejection that had shamed me and crushed my spirit. I remember thinking, ‘Somebody needs to teach you a lesson on how to treat people!’
Although I felt as if I were reliving my adolescent pain, I mustered up my best fake smile; and insincere words began coming out of my mouth. We began to converse. She told me her sad story of a difficult upbringing and of an unhappy marriage. As it did, the words “root of bitterness” from Hebrews 12:15 popped into my head. Yes, I still had a deep root of bitterness hidden within me, strangling my heart.
The words from Romans 12:21 strike at my heart. And that afternoon, I learned about forgiveness and of letting go of bitterness. We talked. We even shared some tears. Neither of us mentioned the long-ago incident. That afternoon, God helped me to forgive others.
To forgive means to set you free from the prison of hatred.
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