One of my all-time favorite movies is Billy Madison. I love it because no matter what mood I am in at the moment it comes on the TV., I will always laugh. There is a part of the movie that isn't so funny to me though. Near the end of the movie, Billy decides that he needs to correct some things he has done in his past that may have hurt someone. So he calls this guy up and apologizes for his behavior when he was younger. The guy then crosses Billy's name off of his list of people that made fun of him when he was younger that he intends to kill. It's intended to be funny but it always gives me that feeling like someone just punched me in the gut. The problem is that I know I have done some things in my past that have hurt people. I have said some things that have been cruel and I have participated in some practical jokes that more than likely have wrecked someone's day, or week, or maybe even their year. I wonder if when those people from my past hear my name in conversations, if that is the first thing that comes to their mind. I wonder if they have forgotten about it. I wonder if they are still holding onto what I had said or done?
There is really only one way to be sure.
Today I am going to begin a list of possible candidates that I have wronged. My goal is to have contacted everyone on it by the end of the year. I am going to ask each one to forgive me. It is my sincere hope that when I reach the end of my list, that it will turn out to be a new beginning for both parties. Maybe you have hurt someone a while ago. Maybe you hurt someone last week or last night. Can you come up with a list? Do you have the courage to make the difficult calls? It will be tough without question, but the end result will be worth the pain. Our short pain may be only a fraction of the pain that the person on the end of your telephone line has been experiencing. You have the ability to change that for them. What are you going to do about it?
There is really only one way to be sure.
Today I am going to begin a list of possible candidates that I have wronged. My goal is to have contacted everyone on it by the end of the year. I am going to ask each one to forgive me. It is my sincere hope that when I reach the end of my list, that it will turn out to be a new beginning for both parties. Maybe you have hurt someone a while ago. Maybe you hurt someone last week or last night. Can you come up with a list? Do you have the courage to make the difficult calls? It will be tough without question, but the end result will be worth the pain. Our short pain may be only a fraction of the pain that the person on the end of your telephone line has been experiencing. You have the ability to change that for them. What are you going to do about it?
