I'm Sorry!!

Our Anniversary is coming up next week (34 years!!). On our 25th anniversary, we went to Niagara Falls. I bought this beautiful glass ornament as a memento to hang on our Christmas tree every year as a reminder of our December anniversary.

One year, our son’s new kitten was discovering what Christmas was all about – a time for installing new climbing structures in the basement!! I was upstairs when I heard that unforgettable noise. Even though the family room floor was carpeted, the sound was like a light bulb hitting the cement floor.

I ran downstairs and there under the tree was my Niagara ornament. The kitten fled, instinctively knowing she was in deep trouble. Thankfully it was not smashed beyond repair. My husband carefully glued the pieces back in. Unless you look really closely, you won’t notice the cracks – especially hidden in the dim lights of the Christmas tree.

On Christmas morning, there was a gift under the tree from our sweet little kitten. Inside was a beautiful glass ornament with these smiling Christmas cats. They were all saying, “We’re so sorry your special anniversary ornament was broken. Please forgive little Wiley!!” Of course we did and they have been a reminder of this story every year since.

Christmas is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation. We have all done things that have caused us to run from God and hide, thinking that what we have done is beyond being forgiven. But we are wrong. God sent Jesus to “reconcile” the world to Him. He came to forgive and to restore.

Many may think that some lives are not worth saving, BUT God knows what HE can do with each damaged life. He is waiting for us to come to Him with our brokenness – broken lives and broken dreams – and allow HIM to restore them as only He can. If you look closely, you may still see the scars of our past, but it only becomes an opportunity to give testimony of the Faithfulness of our God, who reconciled us to Himself and gave us more than we ever knew was possible.

This Christmas allow God to bring forgiveness and reconciliation to your life. It is a time when many families gather together and the season when many hearts are open to hear the message of reconciliation. Watch closely for the opportunities to “give” the gift of forgiveness. Then allow God to heal past wounds and restore estranged relationships. This could be your best Christmas gift ever – the one that lasts all year long!!

Selah Y