What if everybody goes to Heaven?
Can you imagine the embarrassment we'd feel if we were, say, Hitler, in the presence of a loving, forgiving God?
With our past laying right out there, bare, we'd be justifying, excusing, lying...and with every justification, excuse, lie that leapt from our lips, God would know it for what it was, and we'd know God knew. And we'd realize that God accepted us, loved us, forgave us anyway.
Would that be Heaven or ultimate Hell?...the embarrassment of undeserved forgiveness.
All of this came from my remembering this morning my experience with the lady who owned the dog that mauled Ruckus awhile back. I had warned her a week previous to the mauling to put her dog on leash which she clearly had not done since one week later he was running loose and mauled my little guy.
I did not go off on the lady when it happened, did not chew her a new one, and when she brought me the check for his hospitalization, I accepted it with thanks...chilly thanks, but thanks. She was less than gracious and snubs me whenever I see her on the street.
In pondering that this morning, the Hitler-before-God analogy occurred to me, and I considered that as her underlying motivator...embarrassment, plain and simple. True or not, I'm going to accept it as such because that brings me an understanding of her behavior today.
It also proves the saying that we cannot hate anyone if we will bring ourselves to an understanding of them...not justify, but understand. That requires us to give over...detach, let go, divorce ourselves from our own opinion...whereby we find peace.
Thank You.
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