Power of forgiveness
Many years ago I read a true story which touched me very much and often it comes to my mind. It was written by a man called John Kord Lagemann. He spoke of a man who was sitting in a railroad coach next to a young man who was obviously depressed. Finally the man revealed he was a convict returning from a distant prison. His imprisonment had bought shame on his family, and they had neither visited him nor written often. He hoped, however, that this was only because they were too poor to travel, too uneducated to write. He hoped, despite the evidence, that they had forgiven him.
To make it easy for him, however he had written them to put up a signal for him when the train passed their little farm on the outskirts of town. If his family had forgiven him, they were to put up a white ribbon on the big apple tree near the tracks. If they didn't want him back, he would stay on the train and probably go west. As the train neared his hometown, his suspense became so great he couldn't bear to look out the window.
His companion changed places with him and said he would watch for the apple tree. In a minute, he put his hand on the young convicts arm. "there it is" he whispered, his eyes bright with sudden tears. "its alright" the whole tree was white with ribbons.
In an instant, all the bitterness that had poisoned a life was dispelled. "I felt as if I had witnessed a miracle" the other man said. "perhaps I had"
Forgiveness can bring peace to our hearts, and none should underestimate its power.
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