| | this truly touched MY heart...
If you have a minute please read on. Tell me, is this something else or what...
The Amish of Nickel Mines, Pa.—a pacifist religious community in rural Lancaster County who practice a simple farming life without modern conveniences much the same as their 17th century Swiss-German forbears—suffered a shocking intrusion into their world when a local milkman, Charles Roberts, invaded a one-room schoolhouse, shooting 10 young girls, leaving five of them dead.
During the ordeal, one of the girls, 13-year-old Marian Fisher, offered to be killed first in hopes that the others would be spared. (View video: A Young Girl's Sacrifice.) A Beliefnet member wrote of this event: "I cannot ignore this unbelievable act of love by a girl this young. In my mind, this little girl did no more or no less than Jesus did for us on the cross."
Within hours of the shooting, the families of the children not only expressed their forgiveness of the killer but reached out to his family, giving food and raising money for his wife and children. In a Beliefnet video interview, Herman Bontrager, a spokesman for the Amish of Nickel Mines, explained, "The Amish believe that we must forgive because we ourselves need to be forgiven. [They're] trying to live the way Jesus lived. He turned the other cheek, he told us to love everybody, to love our enemies."
A Beliefnet member noted, "The message of forgiveness, rather than vengeance, goes to the heart of how we should behave toward each other. This is an extreme example of how true faith and true forgiveness can be awe-inspiring.
If the Amish can forgive the man who killed their children, how much more should the rest of us be able to forgive the petty hurts and perceived insults we receive each day?"
My take on Life...always full of surprises some good some bad, not perfect but each day a gift...and that's exactly why they call it the present.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Please stay warm & be SAFE.
Lotsa love to you & yours,
family & friends.
I met a new friend named Raleigh last week. He is my inspiration to do all things good and not to take things for granted. The Doctors had to amputate his leg due to gangrene but you could never tell that it bothers him. Raleigh doesn't even know how much he's changed my heart in a 2 visit period. You see, Raleigh is a Senior in an Assisted Living Facility. He's lived there for over a year now. I visit him weekly. We play cards together and then just chat. There is so much wisdom. Although I'm the one volunteering to put a smile on his face, I feel as though I am gaining so much from him out of this experience.
I recommend to all of you, please go volunteer. It's hard to put into words this feeling...and it's something I def'ly want you all to feel. Trust me, it's worth it! So, why don't you give it a try? I can even help match you to specific events that you would enjoy. It doesn't have to be meeting with Seniors...we can even adopt-a-highway together or feed the homeless on skid row. Please let me know if you are interested.
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| | Posted 12/17/2006 5:18 AM - 36 Views - 6 eProps - 4 comments
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