#25 – Determination, Trust, and Forgiveness – August 16, 2024

Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

                We moved into this neighborhood back in 1985.  I was so excited to move out of a trailer (tight quarters) and into a two-story house with room to move around in.  I couldn’t wait to meet my neighbors and get acquainted.  Everyone was so nice…except for one person.  He and his wife were elderly and I would wave to the elderly gentleman.  I would say “Hi”, I would ask, “How are you today?”, only to get a grunt or he would just turn his back on me. But I never gave up.

                A couple years later a young couple with 3 young children moved into the house below us.  We got along great and the woman was like me, always trying to be nice to “Mr. Grumpy”.  She told me one day that she was done trying to be nice to him and I told her, “No!  Keep waving and saying hi to him.  It’s either going to make him, or break him”.

                This gentleman and I had several arguments during the years.  His wife was totally opposite…sweetest person on the street.  But, I just couldn’t seem to break through to her hubby. Everyone has a little bit of kindness in them and I was determined to find it.  But, as the years went by it seemed like an impossibility

                Several years into the “relationship”, I saw him out mowing his grass.  He always wore a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a sun hat.  The day was one of the hottest days and I could see he was having difficulty in the heat.  I saw him stop, take his hat off and wipe the sweat from his face.  An idea came to mind that I wasn’t sure would work, but I was going to try.

                I went inside and poured two glasses of iced tea.  I took them out on the deck and motioned for him to turn off the mower.  I held up the tea and asked him to come sit and cool off for a minute.  He said, “Boy, that sure sounds good”.

                He came, he sat, we talked, and believe it or not we became friends.  From then on I got a wave back!

That’s called “determination”.

Recently I watched a movie called “A Man Named Otto”.  He lived in a gated community by himself and was very strict with the rules and regulations of the Homeowners Association.  He was nasty and hateful to people, didn’t want to even talk to anyone, very argumentative, and a neat freak. 

One day a young family rented the house across the street.  The mother was of Mexican origin whom Mr. Otto wasn’t too keen on.  She was always jabbering to him, making him food (which he actually liked), and asking him for favors…and she was pregnant!  She continued to bug him with all sorts of request and when he found out she couldn’t drive, he yelled at her, “Who, at your age, doesn’t know how to drive??”  So, a little later on she actually coaxed him into teaching her to drive.  Quite an experience for a man who was a perfectionist!

But as time passed, she started to wear him down…a little.  When she went into labor he stayed at the hospital with her other children and kept them entertained.  Even though he continued to be an old fuddy-dud with some people at times , he softened through her attempt to never give up on him. 

That’s called “trust”.

Most of you have probably watched the movie “I Can Only Imagine”.  I just watched it for the first time last week and I intend to watch it again.  It’s a true story of Bart Millard, a young boy growing into a believer, even through horrible conditions from his father.  His life, before he was saved, reflects the lives of many in our society.  He left home and became part of the Christian band called “Mercy Me”.  However, he remained steadfast about NOT forgiving his father for the beatings and harsh words that were inflicted on him through his young life. 

At one point he left the band and went back home.  He got there late and just went to bed.  The next morning, his father had breakfast waiting for him when he got up.  As Bart looked and heard his father talk to him, his anger lashed out at his father and he told him, “I will NEVER forgive you!”.  But he eventually discovered something he never expected.  His father was going to church, studying the scriptures, admitting that he had a lot of questions, admitting that he was wrong, and asked forgiveness. 

Bart still wasn’t completely convinced.  He tried to ride away, but his motorcycle wouldn’t start.  He had to jump in his dad’s truck to get away for a while.  When he brought the truck back, he and his dad started to work on an old jeep that had sat in the shed for several years.  They became close through the workings of the Holy Spirit. 

That’s called, “forgiveness”.

In all three there was something that caused feelings of distrust and anger but in the end, the path that was laid out for them brought them to the road that allowed them to walk together…in determination, trust, and forgiveness.

The moral of these stories, if there is one, is that no matter what you or someone else is going through, be determined to reach them, let them know they can trust you, and forgive those that have done horrible things to you in the past.  We don’t live in the past anymore, and we may not live in the future of tomorrow.  We do, however, live in this moment. 

By the time you’ve read this, about 5 minutes have passed.  You’ll never get those minutes back.  They’re gone forever.  What you do going forward is all that matters…for you, for those you come in contact with, and for the glory of Jesus Christ.  But you cannot do it alone.

Philippians 2:13, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” 

Nancy Stoppe                     

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