Editor's Column by Carolyn Stent I'd rather admit that I'm wrong than miss out on God's healing

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Editor's Columns | Send mail to The Voice 'I'm sorry' opens door to healing Sometimes I discover things of great value in unexpected places. Like the Casio watch I found in the lining of a secondhand coat. Or the Christmas card my uncle gave me in 1994 that I came across this winter. It still contained two crisp $5 bills. And in junior high I discovered two words that allow healing to come from pain: "I'm sorry." That day I had pushed past people in the hall and stumbled into an empty locker room. Tears welled in my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I seethed with anger and something else I didn't want to recognize as I thought about the recent confrontation with my friend Charity. She told me I had hurt Heather, her friend and my classmate. She explained that the things I said to others about Heather had come around. "This is none of your business," I said. I turned my back and refused to listen. And once alone in the locker room, I inwardly railed at Charity. But I knew that she was right. As my anger subsided, I realized it had grown out of humiliation and regret. That night, I picked out a card bearing a close-up of a dog's mournful face. I hoped it would make Heather smile. I cried as I wrote, "I'm sorry." Such simple words and yet so painful to admit. I forced myself to list the areas in which I needed Heather's forgiveness. The next day I slid the envelope into the school mailbox. And I waited. Several days later Heather said to me, "Thank you for the card." I understood the significance and value of her quiet words. She had chosen to forgive me, and we could move on. The many photos of her in my albums remind me of the friendship we have shared since that day. We often say, "I'm sorry," when we are late or when we bump into someone. In these cases, we use the words as a social formality. They come easily and casually. So why don't we use them more often when we hurt each other in deeper, more subtle ways? We shy away from using them sincerely because we are vulnerable when we admit that we were wrong. And I don't like to be wrong. Just ask my brothers. For some reason, when our sister left for college, they thought they needed to correct everything I said. I stubbornly held to outrageous statements that I knew weren't true just because I wanted to be right. "I don't care what you say," I would insist. "I know my hair grows back thicker each time I cut it." In more important areas, however, I'd rather admit that I'm wrong than miss out on God's healing. In areas such as my friendships, my relationship with God and my eternal destiny, I would rather say, "I'm sorry, I was wrong" than hold onto my pride. Obviously, these are not magical words that hold power or unleash spiritual forces. But when they grow out of love and a relationship with God, He uses them to change us and to heal us. According to the first chapter of John, "If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteous-ness." I confessed my sins when I first surrendered my life to God. Now I don't want my pride to keep me from experiencing His healing in all my relationships. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Editor's Columns | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2002 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.