A Drunk Driver Killed His Family. And What He Does When They Meet...TEARS!
August 05, 2015
Choosing To Love Like Christ
Forgiveness...I bet just the mention of the word gets you wiggling in your seat a bit. I know it does for me. But why is that?
God’s greatest commandment is that we are to love -- to love Him, but also to love each other (Matthew 22:36-39). And when God says to love each other, He’s not talking about picking and choosing who. We don’t get to say “Ok, you treated me to ice cream yesterday, so I totally love you. But you over there? You hurt my feelings the other day, so you’re getting no love from me!”
He says to love each other. . .aka everyone. And everyone means even those who have hurt us.
Nope -- not kidding. Love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5). Forgiveness is a part of love. And it is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of loving like Christ, thanks to the anger, hurt and suffering we experience when others wrong us.
Lorne was a man who had been greatly wronged when a drunk driver caused the horrific accident that killed Lorne’s wife and son. He spent many years battling the anger and hurt caused by one man’s poor decision. So, when he shared the story on Facebook of coming face to face with his family’s killer, I certainly wasn’t expecting it end like this. . .
Read below for Lorne’s personal story
“I lost my son and wife, 33 years ago to a horrible accident. They were hit head-on by a seven-time convicted drunk driver.
For three years, I was a complete mess. I couldn’t hold a job. I was not fit company to be with other people. I grieved tremendously. I still do.
But one day I was given advice that transformed me.
A prison priest told me to consider visiting the man in prison who had killed my wife and child. I thought it was a crazy idea, but I was desperate for some sort of hope of closure.
It took me a year to work up the courage to face the man. But I did it. And what I saw and felt in that interaction changed me forever.
The man begged me for my forgiveness. And after hearing his story, I did forgive him. What drove him to alcohol in the first place was the death of his own seven-year-old child to cancer. He vowed that if I could find it in my heart to forgive him for what he did, he would never drink another drop of alcohol in his life.
I’ve kept in touch with the man, and to this day, he has not touched alcohol again. He put his life back together, and he inspired me to do the same.
I can tell you … the minute that I offered my forgiveness, a weight was lifted on my shoulders that felt like ten tons.
I will miss my son and my wife until the day that I die. But I went on to marry again, a woman who stands beside me whenever I visit those graves. A woman who has delivered two daughters that did not replace my first child, but who have brought me endless joy, a joy so profound that it has helped ease my pain.
So, my advice for everyone who thinks that things can’t ever better, is to forgive. Forgive others, and forgive yourself. This is the only way to move on.”
To be wronged, especially as severely as Lorne experienced, forgiveness is the complete opposite of what we want to do. And that’s why the mere mention of the word can make us feel a bit antsy.
Because forgiveness doesn’t just happen. It’s something we have to choose to do, even though it’s usually the last thing what we want to do. It’s a conscious decision -- an act of love. Just as God chose to send his only Son to deliver forgiveness. And Jesus in turn chose to give His life to save all of us, despite our sins.
But God knows our heart, and understands that what He asks is a struggle for us. And so, forgiveness is also a choice that brings about wonderful blessings, as we see from Lorne’s story. When we forgive, we are honoring God’s commandment and opening the door for Him to do amazing things. If you are struggling with hurt and bitterness today, I pray you will find strength and comfort through Him, and that He will prepare your heart to forgive the one who has offended you.
“If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.” 2 corinthians 2:5-8
For more stories that are sure to inspire, CLICK HERE!
h/t: Little Things
Featured Image Credit: ThinkStock
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Past Stories
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
- Little Boy From England With Leukemia Delivers Over 400 Christmas Gifts To Kids At the Hospital
- Gold Star Family Receives a Big Surprise That Will Change Their Lives Forever
- 8-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Is a Hero After Saving Sister From House Fire
- Man Paralyzed At 17 While Snowboarding Has Found True Love and a Wonderful Life
- His Wife Passed Away, Now Their Special Tree is the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp 'Ready Now' Powerful Official Music Video
Mark Schultz 'Different Kind of Christmas' - Live From Mark Schultz
CCM Magazine Brynn Elliot's Chilling 'Silent Night' Rendition
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.