Let it Go? Yes, Let it Go!

I recently received the following testimony from a friend and supporter of our ministry who will remain anonymous. It blessed and challenged me greatly!

Several years ago, I was taking my grandkids to the mall for lunch and had parked in the big parking lot.  When I came out a note was under my wipers.  A woman apologized for the dent her daughter had put in the side of my car.  I looked and her door had really hit it hard. I knew my husband was going to have a fit.

The lady left her name and number and email on the note so that I could contact her with a bill for fixing it.  I was blown away by her honesty; she could have done what most people do and just drive away. No one would know! The Lord spoke to me all the way back to the house about forgiveness. She did the right thing, so I needed to do the right thing.

I knew my husband would be very angry, but I wrote her an email and told her I was blessed by her honesty and “I am a Christian, so I choose to forgive the door ding and let it go.” Soon, I got an email back from her saying that her daughter that dented my door was going into the hospital in two days to have open heart surgery to repair a hole in her heart. She said she hadn’t known how she would pay for what her girl did, but that she was a Christian, too, and she knew that God was pleased when she did the right thing! Needless to say I rejoiced that I had chosen to listen to my Father!!

But that’s not the end of the story. The next day while the kids were at school I was in the driveway, looking at the deep scratch and noticeable dent in the door. I couldn’t deny that my husband would see it right away, and in those days, cars rated higher than people on his list. I knew I was going to get yelled at.  Then I remembered that someone said a little WD-40 on a cloth would take off stains. There was some red paint on my white car, so I rummaged around in the garage until I found a cloth and some WD-40. I began to rub vigorously, and the red paint came off. Excited, I asked God to help me rub off not just the paint, but the scratch, too….and He did! The place where I was hit was barely discernible!

I believe all that happened because I chose to forgive someone! I also got off the hook with my husband because he didn’t notice it at all, ever. Later when he had grown in the Lord a little more, I told him the whole story. I showed him the woman’s note and the emails. He went out and looked at the car door, and just scratched his head. Ha!

If she had run into me on the street and did significant damage to my car, I would have probably reacted differently. But one thing I know: Jesus said that the merciful will receive mercy. Who doesn’t need mercy now and then?