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By R.A. Mathews

 

She asked me not to call the police—a college girl driving her grandmother’s car. She had been texting and driving when she smashed into me.

I stood on the side of the road in Florida, eyeing her and then the damage. I agreed and we exchanged information. She promised to pay for the repairs.

But my mechanic told me what to buy and he fixed my vehicle. I then told her that she didn’t owe me anything. I encouraged her to help someone else.

Lucky me. A few months later, I backed into a car in my driveway and discovered that I wasn’t insured. My new insurance agent wasn’t licensed in Florida, and he hadn’t disclosed that. All I could think of was jail time, if I had called the police the day the girl begged me not to.

Grateful to God? 

Yes, but also angry at my agent. Moreover, there was a $1,000 premium to get reinsured. I paid it—the agent’s wife had cancer, and I didn’t want to confront him. But every time I saw his billboard ad, bitterness swept over me. 

I’m now quite grateful for my bad agent. Why? From that experience came magic. Here’s how it happened. 

One day, as I was passing that billboard, the Lord guided me, telling me to seek blessings for him. I thought of Moses, who took up for wrongdoers, so I did as I was told.  

“God bless you,” I said, staring at his billboard. “God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.”

I felt as goofy as Gomer Pyle—a character from “Andy Griffith” reruns, who said a thing over and over again. But the anger left me. 

The next time I passed his sign, the bitterness returned. “God bless you,” I said, again. “God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.” And it worked. Every time I passed that sign, I Gomer Pyle God blessed him, and the anger would leave me.  

It was magic!

I then Gomer Pyle God blessed a friend who betrayed me. Every time I remembered that hurt, I’d say, “God bless you. God bless you. God bless you,” even if that meant fifteen times a day. 

And it worked.

You’ll hear people say, “Don’t retaliate when you’re harmed. Walk away and don’t look back.” But, if you do that, you’ll know no one. Your closest and dearest are going to harm you. 

Moreover, if you don’t deal with the pain, bitterness will grow inside you like a vicious weed. Whenever you recall the incident, you’ll feel it growing inside you.

And that’s not good. Countless studies prove that the mind and body are connected. It’s forgiveness that kills the weed of resentment. Forgiveness protects your health.

Then why is forgiving a person so hard? 

Because it’s unfair. The wrongdoer doesn’t deserve to get off. The wrongdoer should get punished. 

Neither you nor I deserve forgiveness when we fail. I’m so thankful that God forgives me. I’m grateful to those who’ve granted me mercy in the face of my stupid misdeeds.

Once you learn the power of Gomer-Pyle style God blessing, you’ll forgive easily. You’ll also forget. But is that good? Are you leaving yourself open for more hurt?

I remember turning to God. “Lord, I forgave and trusted my colleague, who divulged another secret of mine. What about that?”

Is there an answer in Scripture? If we eliminate Judas Iscariot, whom did Jesus trust?

• He trusted everyone equally.
• He trusted the 11 disciples equally.
• He trusted the 11 disciples, but not equally.
• The Bible gives no indication.

Think about it and select your answer. 

When the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in Jerusalem, Scripture tells us they were all Galileans. (Acts 2:7) 

Why does that matter?

Jerusalem was a city in Judea. Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, and Capernaum, where He moved, were towns in a region called Galilee. (Matthew 4:13) 

In other words, Jesus surrounded himself with the boys from the ‘hood’—Galileans He trusted most. But only three disciples were allowed at certain events, like the Resurrection of Jairus’ Daughter, the Transfiguration, and His last prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The answer above is No. 3, “He trusted the 11 disciples, but not equally.”

The three were Peter, James, and John. (Mark 5:37, 9:2-3, Matthew 26:36-38)

Consider your wounds. Were they from forgiving and forgetting, or because you trusted someone too soon? Jesus was careful where He placed His trust. Scripture says, “He knew what was in man.” (John 2:25) 

This Christmas, try out the magic of Gomer Pyle God blessing. Give the gift of forgiveness. Say “God bless you. God bless you. God bless you,” when faced with a wrongdoer. Believe me, the person most blessed will be you.