CUT IT DOWN AND FORGET IT

 

In his book, Lee: The Last Years, Charles Bracelen Flood reports that after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him to the remains of a grand old tree in front of her house. There she bitterly cried that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal artillery fire. She looked to Lee for a word condemning the North or at least sympathizing with her loss. After a brief silence, Lee said, “Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget it.”

 

I am sure you will agree with me that it was a pleasure to have Arthur Medlock with us last weekend discussing the Christian family. In the class Sunday morning, he spoke on forgiveness. He referred to the parable of the unmerciful servant found in Matthew 18:21-35. In verse 27 it states that the master released, or loosed, the servant. Brother Medlock pointed out that an important element in forgiving one another is “letting it go.”

 

One essential element of a Christian home is the ability to forgive one another. Whoever said, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” did not know what they were talking about. Admitting when you are wrong is vital to a happy, Christian home. Accepting the apology and forgiving is also necessary, and a key ingredient in forgiveness is letting it go.

 

The lady in the above story, it seems, was leaving the tree standing to remind her of the wrongs that had been committed against her. Every time she looked at the tree, she thought of all the wrongs done to her. How many scarred, destroyed trees of past wrongs are still standing in your life? The only way to get past it is to cut it down and forget it.

 

“I can’t forget it,” someone says. As brother Medlock mentioned, the idea is that you are unable to recall the incident, but that you do not allow it to affect your present or your future. How many times in our families to we bring up old events in our lives to justify our current actions? “Don’t you remember when you_____________?” You really hurt me the time you _____________. We cannot continue to “resurrect” those old, scarred “trees” to make our families, or others, accept our current attitudes and actions.

 

Do you have an old tree standing in the front yard of you mind? Do you use it to remind you, and others, of past wrongs and injustices? Cut it down and forget it.

--Lamar