Joy Haney - How to Forgive When Its Hard to Forget

How to Forgive When It's Hard to Forget

Joy Haney

First printing: February 1996

Second printing: March 1997

Copyright 1995 by New Leaf Press. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. For information write: New Leaf Press, Inc., P.O. Box 311, Green Forest, AR 72638.

ISBN: 0-89221-322-1

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 93:084460

Printed in the United States of America

Please visit our website for other great titles:

www.newleafpress.net

For information regarding author interviews, please contact the publicity department at (870) 438-5288.

Dedication

My beloved husband, Kenneth Haney;

My dear children:

Sherrie and Glen Woodward,
Nathaniel and Kim Haney,
Elizabeth and John Shivers,
Stephanie Haney,
Angela Haney;

To my grandchildren:

Mychail, and Elizabeths unborn child.

May you always keep your face toward the sun and may the Son of Righteousness shine upon you. Let wonder and love stay alive in your heart as you walk lifes pathways. Do not settle in ease and comfort, but dare and endure. As a gem cannot be polished without friction, neither will your life be without trials. As you encounter lifes storms and struggles, retain hope, integrity, and purpose; for you were born to win and excel.

Table of Contents

Preface

If your life has been charred and blackened by the hot fires of hurt and the searing flames of injustice, this book is for you. Read it with an open searching heart, apply the principles, and you will live and build again. No night ever lasted forever. The following quote and poem are from the book, Quests and Conquests, compiled by Dean Dutten, written over 70 years ago.

I am bigger than anything that can happen to me. All these things, sorrow, misfortune, and suffering, are outside the door. I am in the house and I have the key.

Not until each loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the pattern
And explain the reason why
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weavers skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
For the pattern which He planned.

Sometimes things do not go the way He planned because of stubborn human will. Judas proved this. Life does not always go the way you plan either, but you can use your hurtful experiences as stepping stones instead of stumbling stones. They can become learning experiences that will enrich your life and the lives of others if you will allow them to be.

Remember, you can be branded by the hate generated by the destructive fire, and your life can be filled with ashes, or you can be beautified by choosing to forgive, even those who do not deserve forgiveness. This book will help you clean out the cold bitter ashes of despair, and can cause you to dance on top of your hurt. It will help you look up to the stars of hope instead of down at the flames of bitter defeat. You can live again with happiness, peace, and joy.

Joy Haney

THE ENEMYS FIRE

The young man lay charred, scorched, and blistered on the hospital bed, unable to move or talk because of the pain and extensive burns he had suffered. The inferno from which he had escaped was the wreck of an airplane. The torment of the fiery holocaust was indeed enough, but now he suffered with internal anguish, also. His fiance had just walked into the room and placed her engagement ring between his toes without saying a word. As he lay upon his bed, seemingly with his future obliterated, all he could do was cry silently while tears ran down the blackened sides of his face.

You probably will not go through the physical suffering this young man endured, but if you live long enough you will be burnt by someone or a situation involving other people. When you look around, you see many people who get burnt daily. The high society Trump family had its very public burning. Even the bums in the gutter have their hurtful moments. Everyone, sooner or later, will feel the hot fires of humiliation, hurts, and the searing flame of injustice.

From the beginning of time, people have been burned and devastated because of disappointing and marred relationships. This includes inventors who were mocked and ostracized by normal society, and musicians who were not respected until many years after their death. Our very own President Abraham Lincoln was the target of much verbal abuse when he endeavored to free the slaves.

Biblical figures who were burned include Joseph, whose brothers rejected him; as well as David who was hated and persecuted by Saul. Judas burnt Jesus by betrayal. Steven tried to help people, but they did not understand him. The very ones he tried to help burned him by stoning him. Haman tried to burn Mordecai, and in doing so got burned himself. Abel was burnt by Cain, Hagar by Sarah, and Samson by Delilah.

Job was burnt by Satan. He was a very wealthy man in Bible days who lived in the land of Uz. He became involved in a contest that developed between God and Satan. He had sevens sons and three daughters and was considered to be the greatest man of the East.

All his riches did not keep Satan from trying to destroy him. God was having a meeting with the sons of God and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth? (Job l:7-8).

Can you imagine God and Satan talking about a man on the earth like that? They talked back and forth until Satan told God that Job only served Him because of all his riches. Satan then told God to put forth His hand and touch all that he had and Job would curse God. So God answered Satan with confidence by saying, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord (Job 1:12).

Notice, God gave Satan power to work against Job. One of the things Satan used to try to hurt Job with was fire. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee (Job 1:16).

The servant, not knowing of the conversation between God and the devil, called the fire that destroyed them the fire of God. God did not send the fire. He gave Satan the power to use the elements against Job. John 10:10 says, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Satan, who is the enemy of mankind, always comes to destroy. Every chance he can get he will try to break up marriages, bring depression, and cause rebellion in children. He only wants to kill, steal, and destroy. His fire always burns, demolishes, and consumes.

He plans his strategy well. He constantly looks for ways to make people as miserable as he is. He who was once the leader of music in heaven is now the leader of misery. He who lost his song is now the director of sorrow, tears, and agony.

He becomes like a black widow spider, weaving a web to ensnare all who are unaware of his presence. When he lures the unexpected into his trap, he then injects his poisonous substance. The poison flows through the mind developing into a searing, red-hot fire of destruction burning all things in its pathway. He loves to destroy relationships.