Most of us know the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus introduces the prayer by saying, “This then is how you should pray . . . forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” It brings glory to God when we forgive others. Conversely, when we judge others harshly, the Lord promises us that with the judgment we use on others, will come back on us. Not practicing forgiveness causes our hearts to get cold, stony, and unlovable. Interestingly, when we refuse to give forgiveness and grace to repentant souls, it is not them we hurt. We rather begin a death in ourselves.
Take Burgundy for example. Burgundy was the most beautiful of dogs. She was a dream come true for my dear friend, Bud Surles. Bud wanted an Irish Setter. By God’s kindness, a female Irish setter he named Burgundy, landed on the ranch where he worked in Southern Colorado. Bud and Margaret loved this dog–with her long-=legged beauty, and antelope like speed. In the evenings, when the work was done, Margaret and Bud would sit on the porch of their house, which overlooked a 10,000 acre valley below. Let me tell you this dog’s story in Bud’s words.
“Burgundy would run after rabbits, after deer, and after elk herds which would try to take her on. It was incredible to watch her overtake a snowshoe rabbit in a few fluid strides. But there was one creature, although no match for her speed, which always won the races with her--the porcupine. When Burgundy encountered her first one, the results were disastrous. She bit it. Tears and loud shrieks filled our Bronco as we traveled 40 miles to the nearest veterinarian’s.
Burgundy had to be sedated to take out all the quills imbedded in her tongue and in the roof of her mouth. After about 30 minutes of surgery, I asked the vet if the trauma of the experience would prevent her from biting another one. The vet told us that she would either choose to fear the porcupines and give them a wide berth, or she would hate them. Burgundy chose the latter. From then on, every few weeks, we found ourselves extracting quills from her nose. But one day, in her desire for conquest, Burgundy rolled on a dead porcupine carcass. No longer were the quills stuck in her nose. This time they were embedded in her side.
Again, I pulled quills, getting everyone I could see. Hunting season was arriving. This time of year took us into the high country setting up camps and preparing for the onslaught of hunters. One evening, two days before the season began, I arrived back at the ranch, dirty and smelly from a few days living with the horses. After my shower, I heard a knock on my door. When I opened the door, there sat Burgundy. She had a wild look in her eyes, as foam drooled from her mouth. After being sure she was not rabid, I reached down and picked her up. There in my arms, she breathed her last breath. I took her into town to find out what could have possibly killed her.
The vet did an autopsy and when he opened her up, he found her lungs were totally collapsed. You guessed it, they were full of porcupine quills. The dying blow came from one through the heart. You see, a porcupine quill is designed to travel inward. Once it penetrates its victim, the mechanism which keeps the quill firmly attached in the victim, is the same mechanism that causes it to continue to travel inward. Every quill I had missed when Burgundy had rolled on that dead porcupine, had made its destructive way into the entrails of my beautiful dog.”
Bud Surles’ story reminds me that we are all more like Burgundy than we might care to admit. Being unwilling to forgive is like a porcupine quill. It firmly attaches itself to us and it travels down into us until it kills. When we are harmed by someone, we have a choice. We either forgive that person, and God gets all the quills, or we can choose to hate them, judge them, and we can attempt to get even. The tragic spiritual result of that choice to judge and hate and seek revenge is the same as Burgundy’s choice. The choice for each of us is a matter of life and death.
Pastor Richard P. Carlson is a pastor at Rock Springs Free Evangelical Church. He can be reached via email at rcvjesus@gmail.com.
Let the news come to you
Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
