I cannot believe how many flowers and plants Dottie received.

The ramp for the hospital is under construction.

You all probably remember the classic PEANUTS situation between Charlie Brown and Lucy.  Over and over again, Lucy would offer to hold the football while Charlie Brown kicked it. But time and time again, as he ran up to kick the ball, Lucy would pull it away, and Charlie Brown would fly into the air and land flat on his back. One day, Lucy offered to hold the football again, Charlie Brown declined saying he knows how it always goes, and he does not want it to happen again. As soon as he accused Lucy of her past wrongs, she began weeping, “Oh, you’re so right. I admit that in the past I’ve played cruel tricks on you. But I’ve seen the error of my ways. I’ve seen the hurt in your eyes. Won’t you give this poor repentant girl another chance?” Charlie Brown said, “Okay.” So he backed up, ran up to the ball, and just as he was about to kick it, Lucy pulled the ball away. Once again Charlie Brown ended up on his back. As Lucy walked away, she commented to a friend, “Unfortunately, recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things.”

Conflicts are disagreements, sruggles or battles over opposing views or issues. We are in the midst of the Presedential race and conflicts are everywhere. Conflicts can also be categorized by the term “Buttingheads”. The Greeks used AGONY as a term for conflict and this is the one that hits closest to home with me. I agonize over many situations and always have. Just like Lucy I want to change but changing and recognizing are two different things altogether.

I am not perfect and there have been many agonizing moments in my life. Have I forgiven? Oh, I think I have. I hope I have. But have I reconciled those relationships. Sadly, in some cases, the answer is “No”. There is a large difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Restoration of friendships sometimes never occur even between Christians. It is easy to forgive when you truly understand what God has forgiven you of throughtout your life. Casting stones should be the furtherest thought from our minds as Christians.

But reconciliation? I don’t know about that! He stole from me or he took my family away from me or he lied about me or he…well you get the idea. Is it possible to truly forgive without truly forgetting? God has to throw our sins as far from the East is from the West to forget our sins. He has to put them out of sight so to speak though He sees everything.

He expects me to forgive and reconcile my conflicts. I am undergoing a situation concerning a family member in the states that is tearing Dottie and myself apart emotionally. In our men’s Bible time last Friday one of the men said “Let us pray for the salvation of this man who is causing such damage to Mike’s________.” At first my flesh thought I would rather make him suffer. I had not desire to see him saved. Honestly I did not even pray that way until the man praying prayed for my “enemy”.

Satan keeps pulling the ball away but we have to continue taking our shot. Eventually we will kick the conflict into the depths of the sea. Do you feel like Lucy? Do you recognize your faults but have trouble actually changing?