Thursday, August 6, 2009

What a hot summer!

Hello, I've been absent for some time. There were some issues and oh well, it's all history. Today is a new day. In the South Texas area this time of year is so hot that you could literally cook an egg on the sidewalk. It has been in the triple digits and our a/c broke. Half of our house is cool and the other half is like an oven. It just happens that the kitchen is in that half. Everytime I cook, the heat is worse. I do have a fan but that just does not seem to help. What a horrible mess but can't complain. I just tell my kids imagine how hell must be. Now that's a place we sure don't want to be.

One hot afternoon, my kids were complaining and I took advantage of the moment and mentioned how hell could be even worse. I told them the importance of forgiveness because at any moment God can say this is your time. Imagine being in the presence of the Lord and we can't enter heaven because we chose not to forgive someone. Because He commands us to forgive just like He forgave us. Sometimes its just too hard to forgive. How can we forgive someone who has wrong us, who has offended us, how can we forget.

This week we went through a trial in our lives. A few months ago, my husband burned his tongue while eating dinner (he just couldn't wait for it to cool a bit). Well, in that area a tiny little bump formed. Later, it looked more like a growth. Months later, this growth grew and the texture and color changed. A few weeks ago, it grew to a size that worried us. My husband went to his doctor on Saturday and the news was shocking. The doctor didn't like the looks of it and for him there was no doubt- cancer. What a blow? How can that be, it was just a simple burn. The doctor referred my husband to a specialist. His appointment with Dr. Wright would be on Tuesday.

I just prayed. Because I knew I can't do nothing without Him. I prayed because I knew where my help comes from. I prayed to wonderful and powerful God. I prayed to God because there's absolutely nothing impossible for Him. Because His word says-by His wounds we are healed. During prayer, I said to the Lord, "if there's anything I have done that has offended You, show me so I can repent" and He showed me. He reminded me of two occasions I chose not to forgive.

Last year two of my husband's co-workers went through some health problems. One had cancer and the other had a very bad infection on his foot, result of a spider bite. We prayed for them and I asked for prayer at church. Church members prayed for them even if they didn't know them, regardless of religion. Our Lord all mighty healed them and we rejoiced. But, later these two wronged my husband in different occassions. I was so mad, I thought how could they after we asked for prayer and they were healed, just how could they forget. Just hearing their name made me so furious.

Oh!? I felt so bad when the Lord showed me. I chose not to forgive and let go. Immediately, I forgave these two men. I realized that it's not who God heals, it's just the fact how great He is that He can heal anyone, even those who chose not to follow Him. How full of mercy and great and awesome is He. After I finished my prayer. I just knew my husband would be okay. If God can heal a nonbeliever why would he not heal my husband how serves and loves Him.

On Tuesday, we saw the specialist and praise His name, my husband doesn't have cancer!! He will need to get that growth removed. But, it's not cancer. From this trial I learned so much, we can sometimes focus on what people have done to us that we forget what God does for us.

As I tell my kids to remember to forgive, I remind myself, too the importance of forgiveness. Because this kitchen gets so hot when I cook that I sure don't want to know how it can be in hell.