Granted, some of life’s obstacles are easier to climb over than others, but no matter how large or small, none are particularly enjoyable and many cause us undue stress. When a trial or tribulation presents, I think to myself, “Ok … here we go … adapt and overcome.” Although always easier said than done, this has been my motto for many years.
Despite knowing nothing of God’s providence until 5 years ago, I was cognizant of the fact that somehow I’d come through every single unfortunate circumstance much better off in some way than before. The Apostle Paul tells us in his epistle to the Romans, ” … we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope … (Romans 5:3-4).
Glory in tribulations?! In hindsight, perhaps, but while traversing an obstacle, that is difficult to do. After questioning every decision I have ever made (typically my first, albeit unwise, reaction), I make every effort to learn and grow from the situation, reminding myself of how I’ve overreacted to so many trials in the past that in retrospect turned out to be just what I needed. It is important to take a deep breath and remind ourselves of the many promises in the Bible (Deuteronomy 31:8, John 16:33, Romans 8:28 and countless others).
Honestly, I do not start out under this effort. After assessing the present trial I am faced with and doing all I could for the time being to handle it, I spent much of yesterday seemingly paralyzed and unable to do much of anything but sit on my duff and gaze at my ‘puter screen. I knew deep down I was simply unwilling, not unable, and I was in no way pleasing God with my state of mind. This morning I woke up and thought, “Hmmm, I feel better today,” and was reminded of this verse from the Book of Lamentations, comforting words from prophet Jeremiah, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Today will be a better day because I will practice what I’m preaching. Don’t be surprised if you hear me belting out, albeit totally out of tune, “‘Cause I’ve got confidence, God is gonna see me through, No matter what the case may be, I know He’s gonna fix it for me!” While we may not be able to uphold every single word in this song, let us fake it ’til we make it and praise God over and over for all of His mercies. Sometimes ya just gotta sing while counting it all joy (James 1:2-4)!!!
This morning I was asked about the dog in the photo in yesterday’s post. Through the magic of the interwebz and with much joy, I was able to find a blog entry I’d written on my now defunct pet care business website. I composed this on March 11, 2018, but the event it recounts took place on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017, a few years before I understood just what Easter is all about, as I was converted to Christ in 2020. Praise God for incredible journeys!!!
The shelter is closed on Sundays and Wednesdays so I won’t have the privilege of walking a dog every single day, but I wanted to chronicle this awesome time I had with a dynamic dog that I called Jack. Last year while working and staying at a KOA campground in central VA, I took advantage of the fabulous hiking trails in the area. Unfortunately, due to my dog’s ailing health, she is no longer able to hike with me, so I tackled the trails alone. This took place on Easter Sunday, and this was the first time I thought about how neat it would be to take shelter dogs outta “jail” for a few hours to hike. Jack, however, was not a shelter dog; he was truly a trail angel.
The head of Terrapin Mountain Trail is at the end of a mile-long, gravel, residential road. About a quarter of a mile into the hike, I was met by two doggies, Jack and what looked to be more of a “house” doggie. “House doggie” was smaller and fluffier than Jack and … well … took off towards a house I could see in the distance. Jack, incredibly, stuck with me for the full 10-mile trek. The first 6 miles or so were mostly uphill, and the trail was not well marked. So I was happy and extremely relieved to hit this point cuz I knew that what went up had to come down — it was time to descend the mountain.
And, at this point, at least I knew I was on the correct trail. I realized later, despite having the trail loop “trip tik” saved on my phone, I took off from the wrong end so wasn’t meeting landmarks as I should have been. This was a bit concerning, but I grew to have faith that my boy Jack had my back. He clearly knew these woods like the back of his paw. There were times he would run way ahead outta sight — I wasn’t sure if he was still with me — but he always came back to get me. It was amazing.There were a few creek crossings, and for each one Jack searched out the safest way for me to cross.
I felt so blessed to have this K-9 compass join me on Easter Sunday for such a beautiful hike. I worried a bit what might happen to him after we completed our journey, but this boy was clearly not a stray. He was obviously a local doggie who enjoyed the outdoors as much as I do. When we got back to the trailhead, we took a photo together and then Jack sauntered away towards the same house that “house doggie” went. I bet he had a good, long nap and a great story for his family!
Saying goodbye to Jack, my Terrapin Trail Angel, after a wonderful few hours spent tackling the trail together.
Some of us remember distinctly the moment of our conversion to Christ, or rebirth, even down to the exact date and time. And some, like I, do not. I remember mine as a season, seeming more like a process. A man once said to me, “Well, yes, I am a Christian, but I did not have a Damascus Road experience like that of the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-22).”
I’ve often wondered if I will be united with any family members in Heaven, and I seriously doubted it. While growing up the only thing I remember being told about Jesus Christ was not to use His name in vain or as a curse; it was never explained why, and the holiness of the name eluded me. I received my answer with great joy in an unexpected gem that arrived last year inside a birthday card.
This envelope was sent by an aunt, who, sadly, has not yet been converted. It contained a copy of a letter written by an ancestor of ours who was involved in a shipwreck at the age of 22 in 1865, an article regarding which is linked here. This letter was addressed to his pastor, and he referred to what he wrote as, “My conversion … I was one of a crew of 36 on a steamship S.S. Constitution of the Morgan Line plying between New York and Savannah, Georgia.” He began by stating, “I recall just previous to sailing south in a letter to my mother I said regarding matters spiritual, I was like the man who knew his duty but did it not.”
He detailed how the ship entered into a thick fog, running aground on Cape Look Out Shoal off the coast of North Carolina when, “The fore part of the ship was hard and fast on the bar, the after part afloat and the breakers pounding on her port quarter, the engine — partially crippled — soon gave out, the fire room flooded, the ship was doomed.” The following is copied directly from the letter:
“In view of the extremely critical situation I recalled what I had written my mother as to duty and from then on I felt the urge. As I looked into that storm of waters, it seemed as if life and death were in the balance. If I yielded to the promptings of duty I was prepared for either. As for the challenge of death beyond the borderline of this life, to me all was blank and darkness. Having one and not properly equipped for the other. In either case a failure, weighed in the balance and found wanting. I was very much alone and could not pray. The heavens were as brass to me. Why not yield? You wonder — so do I.
Well, for the present we will leave it there. No, it was persistently with me. I will pass over much that was pathetic, tragic and otherwise.
On the morning of the 26th (December 1865) at 3 o’clock one of the lifeboats was launched but immediately swamped, broke adrift unmanned. Between 5 and 6 o’clock after 28 hours of incessant battle with the breakers the ship broke in two amidship and the after part was swept away. In an attempt at launching all lifeboats were crushed. The seas swept into the hole tearing up the hurricane deck, portions of the main deck and the pilot house. What the death toll was in the darkness and deluge I could only imagine. The ship, what was still intact, lay well over on her starboard side, the lee rail near the water level. I found myself on the main deck, at that point intact, close to the bulwarks or rail and near breast deep in water.
After 3 seas had gone over me I was getting pretty well chilled. A body floated to me which I found to have been crushed to death. The horror of the situation startled me. On the impulse of the moment I mounted the rail and sprang into the sea and swam away for anywhere but there. I soon came to a raft awaiting me with accommodations for one. My equipment was shirt sleeved, stocking footed, vest and cap, life preserver, belt, knife and sheathing and lashing — provision one orange. I adjusted the lashing and then we, my raft and I, were shipmates for weal or woe and on our voyage. We were carried across the ship’s bow and headed for the breakers. As we neared them I gripped the sides of my raft, leaning well forward for the contact. We came through right side up, also the second one with like results, but the third and last one old Neptune evidently changed his tactics for he got a strangle hold on our little raft and rolled us over. Thanks to the lashing we held together. We came through the situation reversed — I was under, the raft over.
Say there must have been contagion in that overturn. Something happened. Somehow the shock to my mental apathy had released all the pent-up vital forces until then held in abeyance. As soon as I got my chin over the edge of the raft I think body, soul and spirit merged in that spontaneous dynamic outburst, “I will.” And then the transit from darkness to light — from bondage to liberty — and with it the assurance positive that I would be saved, but over and above all I realized I was no longer alone but conscious of the presence of one mightier than the voice of many waters, come life or death I was committed to His keeping and I proposed then and there that I would ‘pay the vow my lips had uttered and my mouth had spoken when I was in trouble.’“
While not all of our conversions to Christ are quite as profound or exciting as the Apostle Paul’s rebirth on the Damascus Road, every story of conversion richly relays the amazing grace, mercy, and providence of God, to whom goes all the glory forever and ever.
I am evermore excited to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land with the great expectation of meeting my beloved ancestor and brother in Christ, Mr. Chessman Wright.
Recently, I stepped out of God’s will for my life. During that brief period, I received conflicting counsel from a couple close friends. The spiritual warfare in my world was thick and incredibly daunting. In many ways, God the Holy Spirit was making it abundantly clear that I was out of the Father’s divine plan, the most obvious of which was feeling physically ill for a couple weeks. I was conflicted … was God admonishing me, or was Satan trying to sabotage something that God ordained? The Bible verse 1 Peter 5:8 comes to mind. That said, long ago, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9.)
After much prayer, the Lord convicted me of the woes of my ways. I immediately brought myself back into the will of God. In His amazing providence, on my schedule that day was a study of the 32nd Psalm. Two verses jumped out at me that say, “For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah” (Psalm 32:4-5).
It can often be difficult to discern God’s will for our lives, but living outside of His will is a sin of disobedience. I realize this can be quite a conundrum, but the Lord speaks to us through His Word and the Holy Spirit. Hence, it is vital that we study the Bible each and every day and pray fervently for His guidance. Often I experience His love and communication through sermons listened to over the internet that quite literally speak to the situation of which I am in. While uncanny at times, it is a wonderful example of God’s love, mercy, and astonishing providence.
Proverbs 16:9 states, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” He does this through His Word.
It is true that oftentimes God is full of wrath and righteous anger.
Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Meet Patch … my typically wrath-lacking, one-eyed wonder dog whom I dubbed “LoverBoy” upon our first meeting. Let the reader be informed that Patch is (was) never aggressive towards other dogs. In fact, his resume boasts the title of Entertainment Coordinator for my past pet sitting business, and in that position he interacted fabulously with hundreds of dogs, large and small, with no issues whatsoever.
Rewind to about a year ago. I had folks on the property building a chicken coop. They brought their dog daily, which attracted a couple other neighborhood dogs, the three of which were pals. We, on the other hand, had just moved into the ‘hood so I felt it best to keep my two puppers contained. I’d been warned by the two young men who’d excavated the property that the dog who resembles a dalmation had attempted to bite each of them on separate occasions. One day this dog, named Tebow, stood at the chain link fence, behind which were Patch and his little brother Scout, and taunted them relentlessly til Patch had reached his boiling point.
It is written in the Bible, which I’m well aware is directed at humans, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Apparently, Patch was convinced that he was the vessel through which vengeance should be delivered to Tebow. Unlike our precious God, Patch did not display long suffering (Numbers 14:18, KJV reads, “The Lord is longsuffering … “). Instead, he burst through the gate and chased Tebow all the way to his home, about a quarter mile down the road. Since then, whenever we’d run into Tebow on our walks, Patch would rapidly “escort” him home and then return right back to me; that is until a week or so ago.
We were strolling along minding our P’s and Q’s when along came Tebow’s human dad on an ATV with Tebow trotting alongside. Instinctively, Patch bolted around the corner after them. I heard the man yell, “TEBOW!!!” but I did not see which mutt started the scuffle. I suspect Tebow viewed Patch as a threat to his dad, and rather than his usual fleeing at full speed with his tail between his legs, he chose fight over flight.
The scene was quite surreal, not at all how I’d expect a dog fight to play out — no growling or snarling, no jumping or thrashing, and very little blood. Patch merely wrapped his jaw around Tebow’s neck, pinned his head against the ground, and held him there, both dogs remaining still. We managed to get them separated without much ado, praise God.
After reflecting on this unfortunate event, I determined that Patch’s objective was simply to send a message, “You best change your ways, or next time this might end differently,” and not to render a death sentence. Much like our precious God, Patch was merciful and full of grace towards Tebow. Psalm 86:15 beautifully proclaims, “But thou, O Lord art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” May we remember this verse at times when what we truly deserve is God’s wrath, even death, but instead receive a painful message warning us of potential grave discipline if we do not mend our ways.
As a postscript, I learned last evening that Tebow once grabbed a young neighbor girl by the arm and latched on with his jaw as she was running down the road. Thankfully, she had on a winter coat and was not seriously injured, although blood was drawn. Please join me in praying that this situation is resolved with the safety of others at the forefront.
In Romans 3:23, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that all of us, believers and unbelievers alike, are sinful. Admittedly, I sometimes dare think that I have conquered my worst sins, the ones I consider the real heavy hitters such as alcohol addiction, fornication and the like. In those times, I quickly jolt back to reality and remind myself to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Spiritual warfare is real, and Satan knows his time is short.
My sinful ideations are intrusive and most often quite disturbing, and they seem to be ramping up of late. I recall something that happened years ago before my regeneration or rebirth. I was impatiently enduring a church service when suddenly a great urge came upon me to scream out, “AM I THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO WANTS A DRINK RIGHT NOW?!” Ugh … but to be expected from one living an incredibly sinful existence.
What I did not expect are the recent thoughts that have been creeping up in me, a now saved but God-fearing sinner. In all honesty, the thoughts are jarring, some quite vile, and I think, “Where in the flippity-flop did those thoughts come from?! I must not indulge them any longer!” I mentioned this in a text to a sister in Christ, and she replied, “That is the sanctification process and Satan wants to stop that. That’s why we must always be on our guard.” Awareness of all of Satan’s devices, including employing sinful thoughts, is key in defeating him and remaining in God’s good graces.
Within this lengthy sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon, I found quite a jewel:
“Beware, then, of all thoughts of sin. If you show a thief all the locks, and bolts, and bars in your house—and tell him how the cellar window could be opened, or the backdoor lock be made to give way—do not be surprised if one of these nights you should find all your goods stolen. If you do this and introduce these evil things into your habitation, you cannot wonder at the consequence, however startled your friends may be at the detection.“
Do not entertain sinful thoughts just as you would not entertain a thief!!!
Those of us familiar with the Word of God know that the Bible answers this question quite succinctly in the Book of Hebrews, where the brilliant yet unknown author states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). When I was blind to the Bible and had not the least interest in reading it, a friend who happened to be a pastor described an example of faith to me: When you are driving up a hill and cannot see the road on the other side of the top, faith is confidently continuing up and over the hill, trusting wholeheartedly that the road does, indeed, continue on.
Now that’s a pretty concrete (or asphalt) description of faith, but how does one apply that to faith in our almighty God? It’s important to note that faith is a gift from Him. The Apostle Paul explains, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith is a bit like exercise — the more you exercise your body, the stronger your body becomes, and the stronger your body becomes, the more exercise you can endure. Likewise, the more you trust God and embrace His gift by letting go of worry and exhibiting faith in small matters, the more you will abandon hopelessness and cling to faith in larger matters. Faith builds upon itself and strengthens as we endure trials.
Consistent prayer is essential to building faith. Answered prayer instills confidence in the Lord and inspires us to pray in all things, big and small. Lose your keys?! Don’t get frustrated but take a moment to stop and ask God to help you find them. Drive into a ditch?! Don’t panic but ask Him for guidance on what to do next and perhaps ask for some divine assistance, which may come in the way of a passerby. Family member severely ill?! Again, pray. In many cases it might be best to ask our Lord what He wants you to learn from the suffering of others as well as your reaction to it. Most importantly, believe your prayers will be answered.
It is too easy to doubt. Even the Apostle Thomas (aka Doubting Thomas), who witnessed many miracles performed by our Savior, doubted the resurrection of Jesus and pronounced, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:24-28).
Praise God, my faith in Him continues to build daily. He has rewarded me greatly time and time again for my faith. I don’t expect you to trust my experiences, but I do pray that you will trust the One who knows all things from beginning to end (Isaiah 46:9-10). And remember what Jesus told the dubious one after seeing and touching the resurrected Lord, calling Him his Lord and his God, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed (John 20:29).
Hebrews 11:6 states: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Be a blessed believer, overflowing with faith; the road does continue on!!! Walk by faith, not by sight.
I’ve always believed in a divine creator of the universe, but I certainly did not live like it until my regeneration and conversion to Christ. It was never lost on me that everything, good or bad, seemed to happen for a reason. I would often try to comfort myself with that thought with the caveat, in mild frustration, that “I may never learn the reason(s).”
I’ve since learned about God’s providence and strongly rely on His powerful promise: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).” Granted, I do sometimes cry out, “Why, God?!” with my heart thumping in anguish. I then take a few deep breaths and bring back to mind that nothing happens by accident and that, by design, God is carrying out His sovereign plan. I don’t need to know His reasons; the verses of Proverbs 3:5-6 come to mind. It calms my heart knowing that with each passing occasion, whether trial or triumph, my faith, confidence, and trust in our Lord grow exponentially. As a result, walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) comes quite naturally to me and never fails to fill me with immense joy.
To some folks, walking solely by faith and not in dependence of what he or she believes is his or her good sense, might seem daunting, perhaps even terrifying. The Lord took care of me before my conversion; how much more does He now that I have determined to live purposefully according to His will? Much more, I assure you. I do things by His will that causes others, believers and unbelievers alike, to question my sanity. Take this post, for example. It all comes down to a deep faith in and an unwavering obedience to our Lord and Savior.
I tend to think of daily events in my life in a biblical frame of mind. I copied this from an e-mail I sent to a few friends back in October of 2023 before moving to my current location:
This morning around 4:45 I was walking the boys (my canine companions Patch and Scout) on leashes up Shade Tree, the dead end road that runs off of mine. We got to the top and they suddenly gave chase — to what creature I know not. In my just-woke-up brain fog, the wires in my mind were crossed. I meant to let go of Patch’s leash because the calamity of the leash handle bouncing off the ground has historically rendered him motionless, full of fear. Unfortunately, it was Scout’s leash that I dropped, and the notion of fear is most often foreign to him. He darted into a thicket of mountain laurel, dragging the extended leash behind him. I called to him for a few minutes to no avail, and it was too dark for my itty bitty headlamp to see anything through the bungalow of mountain laurel branches.
I brought Patch home, grabbed my super-bright Stanley FatMax rechargeable flashlight, and drove the 4-runner up Shade Tree. I thought perhaps the sound of the vehicle might lure Scout out of the thicket but no such luck. My biggest concern was his leash getting tangled up, making it impossible for him to hike out. I noticed a clearing beside the thicket so I began my search walking slightly downhill through that. Within just 30 feet or so, I came upon a cattle fence, reminding me that the property in this development was once home to a swine farm. That provided some relief as I figured Scout couldn’t have gotten past that. I shone the light through the thicket, called his name, and listened for him but did not detect any evidence of his presence. Shortly thereafter, the beam of light from the FatMax began to dim — not enough oil for the lamp so to speak — and I decided to wait til morning light to search further.
As I settled onto my couch with a cup of coffee and my Bible to begin my daily reading with Patch snuggled up beside me, he suddenly jumped up, barked and insisted on going outside. His howling continued after I let him out, and at first I thought maybe the coyote we had seen a couple weeks prior was passing through the area. Then the thought occurred to me, “Oh Lord, Scout is going to be breakfast for a band of ravenous coyotes,” so I said a quick prayer. Through a brief pause in Patch’s banshee-like barking, I heard a higher pitched yelp. “Is that Scout?” I hollered to Patch.
When I rushed out onto the porch, I heard the clackety-clack-clack of Scout’s plastic leash handle bouncing down Shade Tree toward the house. “Scout!!!” I went out to the driveway and crouched down as he ran up and gave me big hug. I opened the fence gate and he pranced into the yard, where Patch promptly tackled him to let him know of his displeasure in Scout taking off like that. Rather than scolding Scout, I lavished him with love, a biscuit to munch on after he consumed his regularly scheduled brekky, and a thorough brushing, which he greatly enjoyed. All this happened in about a 35-minute span of time, but as anyone who’s lost a dog knows, even just a minute feels like forever!
I was reminded of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), hehe! While this area did house a swine farm over 20 years ago, I highly doubt there are any carob pods still around to sustain a little doggie out sowing his wild oats. (Luke 15:16).
Sometimes the idea of forgiving someone does not even cross our minds, and if it does, it seems difficult, even impossible, to imagine. Let me remind you that with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). I once believed that I was the most forgiving person in the world. I now recognize that I “forgave” certain individuals out of my desperate desire for love and affection. And by forgave I mean brushed off the cruelty of others by convincing myself that I deserved such treatment. Within a day or two of an offense, I would eagerly run back for more — more love, more affection, and, ultimately, more cruelty. After all, I was no angel; I’d hurt others; I’d earned such wantonness. I’ve never prescribed to a victim mentality.
It was eight years ago that I escaped to the wilderness and took a job workcamping for eight months in a locale that was a beautiful six-hour journey from home. At that time, my recent past included what in hindsight was a most ridiculous, bound-to-fail (praise God), drunken suicide attempt; a broken engagement with a man who had narcissistic personality traits; and, on a good note, a few months of sobriety under my belt.
Upon returning to reality eight months later, largely motivated by the immediate proximity of the person mentioned above, I knew I needed to relocate. We lived in the same campground, and his site was adjacent to mine. Can you say, “Awkward?!” I was still reeling over the circumstances of that relationship, and while I did not at all long to repair or resume it, I could not let go of the anger and pain I was experiencing and dwelled upon both daily.
By God’s grace, I was able to purchase a home several miles away. A few months into residing there, I was walking my dog when a sudden, quiet voice popped into my head, “You know, you could just forgive him.” I stopped in my tracks and in a baffled state retorted in my mind loudly, “I could?!” Eventually, I did. I am well aware now whose voice that was. God speaks through His word, but I was blind to the Bible and He knew I needed to hear and apply those words desperately.
Now, seven years out from that life-transforming silent yet seemingly auditory revelation, I have eyes to see and ears to hear. Not only have I forgiven the above-referenced person but I pray for his soul. In the words of Charles H. Spurgeon, which by God’s amazing providence were part of my morning reading today, “Those who have personally tasted and known the sweetness of true Christianity are not selfishly satisfied merely to rejoice in their religion but long that others, too, may taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).”
So is forgiving others really that difficult? Certainly not when we consider that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lived a life wrought with humiliation, persevered through much suffering, and committed not one single sinful act, all of which culminated into His final, grueling earthly act of hanging from a tree til death in order to procure the Father’s forgiveness for all of our countless sins.
When considering forgiving others’ sins against you, try to imagine Jesus’s beaten and bloodied body and remember what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians: 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
