Have you ever been hurt? Yes? Now what.

Have you ever been lied to? Yes? Now what.

Have you ever been mistreated? Yes. Now what.

Have you ever been betrayed? Yes? Now what.

Have you ever been gossiped about? Yes? Now what.

Have you ever been falsely accused? Yes? Now what.

Have you ever been taken advantage of? Yes? Now what.

Have you ever been cheated on? Yes? Now what.

We can play the “have-you-ever-been” game all day. The list is endless. But to be frank, too many people play it and lose. They never get the euchre. They never get the backgammon. They never get Boardwalk and Park Place. The game rolls on.

I’d like to borrow some words from Bob Goff this morning. They struck me:

There is a quote you might have heard that goes something like this: ‘Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies.’ It made me wonder if we could start this quote: ‘Forgiveness is like drinking poison for someone else and you both live.’  (#300-p.350)

He goes on a little later to say:

The hardest part about giving forgiveness is when a person who is wrong doesn’t ask for it. We should give it anyway…Forgiveness isn’t like drinking poison; it’s more like giving you both the antidote.  Forgiveness is an invitation to humble ourselves and turn toward the people who have hurt us.  (ibid)

That’s why the “have-you-ever-been” game is really an effort in futility. We’ve all been there. So…now what?

“Father, may I be like Jesus and choose the path of forgiveness.”