Some of you may have read my post on Friday about “Surviving the Worst Case (or, Finding a Stranger in Your Kitchen at 4am).” Basically I wrote about how God is with us even through what we consider to be the worst case scenario, and I told the story of a friend who discovered a man standing in his kitchen at 4am, covered in blood. The following is an email I received from that friend after he went to court for the man’s hearing:
I was summoned to appear at the preliminary hearing of the man who broke into our house that night…
I found myself a little nervous pulling up to the district judge’s office and I realized upon entering the tiny little office that I was again face to face with the man that I had found in the kitchen that night. I wondered early this week if I would recognize him when I saw him…I realized a split second after seeing his face that I did recognize him and that I was unlikely to ever forget it. I sat there and waited for my name to be called, unsure of what the process would look like and what would be required of me. My heart was to extend grace to this young man and encourage him in his journey.
After a while the assistant district attorney and the arresting officer called me outside. They explained what was going on and what charges were being brought against the young man and how he was someone with no previous record who had made some bad choices. They wondered if I would be okay if the charge was lowered from a felony of criminal trespass to some type of misdemeanor instead. It would mean avoiding a trial for the young man. I told them that I was happy to lower the charge and that I didn’t have any ill will toward the man and that I would sign off on the paperwork that they were asking about. The judge (who happens to be a good friend of mine) came out in the midst of our conversation and told the men that he wanted to see me when we were done.
So I went into the judge’s office and shared with him – previously I had wanted to avoid any type of conflict of interest for him, so I hadn’t discussed the details of the event…oddly enough he had just realized yesterday when preparing for today that I was the person whose house this had happened at. We had a great conversation – I signed the paperwork and thanked the Assistant DA and the officer for what they do and then I went to walk back through the narrow hallway past the young man who was still sitting there next to his father. Before I left I asked the judge if he thought it would be okay if I invited the young man to get a cup of coffee sometime so that I could share my heart with him a bit and some of my journey through life – the judge felt great about it so I walked into the room unsure of how it would go.
As I had sat just a few feet away from [him] when I had arrived for the hearing I felt waves of emotion wanting to rise up inside of me and I felt like I could cry. Now as I approached him I was excited and curious to see how things would play out. Before I said a word he rose out of his seat and extended his hand toward me.
“Sir,” he said, “I have been advised not to speak to you. But I wanted to let you know how deeply sorry I am for what happened. I really appreciate you being gracious with me and having the charges lowered to help me out. I have wanted to contact you before but I have been advised not to speak to you. I apologize. I’m sure if I was in your shoes it would have been a very scary thing to experience.”
“You are forgiven man,” I said. “I accept your apology and you are forgiven. I was hoping that we would get a chance to talk. God has been gracious with me when I have made mistakes and I don’t hold anything against you. I was actually hoping that I could share some of my journey with you sometime if you would like to get together.”
“I would love to hear about your life,” he said. “If I give you my contact information will you call me to set it up?”
I was so happy. This is exactly what I was hoping for, an opportunity to sit down and talk about life with him and get to share my story and hear some of his. I took his number and then introduced myself to his father who again thanked me for being gracious and helping them out. Again I assured them that people have been gracious with me and that God has been gracious with me and that there are no hard feelings. I told them to hang in there with things and we said our goodbyes.
Then I went out into my car and started it and sat there and cried. I cried because I know that God loves me. I cried because of a million bottled up thoughts. I cried because of how redemptive God is and I cried because of that young man and how I know that God is going to move in his life. And I cried because I felt God’s pleasure with me as a son and I cried because God is good and I love it.
Shawn, I have been struggling with forgiving some people for over a year. Intellectually, I know that I need to do this for my soul’s condition. This may have been exactly what I needed to hear. I cried along with your friend at the end.
It is always awesome to see God’s love and grace and mercy in action.
Grace is so difficult for us to extend to others, and yet so necessary for us to live. There is no testimony, not witness, as powerful to a person than when someone, who has every right to ask for full justice to be done, chooses to show grace and mercy. Powerful.
Very powerful story. Thanks for sharing Shawn
Shawn,
Thanks for ‘the rest of the story’ ! I love it! Al Longenecker…….. Daves dad
And I cried because this is one of the most moving things I’ve read this week. Thank you, Shawn, for reminding us of what grace is all about. And please thank your friend for this story.
Love and forgiveness are powerful, can tear down any walls. Great story… thanks for sharing.
Reminds of the last scene/line from an old Peretti book…. angels observing people in a not-so-dissimilar situation, hugging, crying, laughing. One observing angel says to the other, “Redemption…. it will never cease to thrill me.”
Tears are welling in my own eyes now. What a beautiful story of grace and redemption!
Matthew 6:14-16
English Standard Version (ESV)
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
We oftentimes misunderstand this passage to mean that we are required to forgive others as a condition of our forgiveness.
Rather, when we understand that we have been forgiven, we desire to be forgiving people ourselves.
What a beautiful story displaying grace. I love how your friend continued to return to the point that he too had made mistakes in life. I think this is key to live in the fallen world we live in. We must remember daily how we too have been forgiven and cloaked in such grace. I experienced my own story of grace forward this past week. I had the opportunity to sit down for a meal with the woman my Covenant Love had an affair with eight years ago. I sat giving her the gift I’ve been given, the gift of telling her story. I listened as she shared a story of brokenness and deep loss. I reached out holding her hand and shared with her the love of Christ, his grace and how I myself had been forgiven. It is in the giving where we are set free. I love this story of your friends journey and know this young man will be so blessed to have him in his life. A truly divine encounter….
I always have to emotionally prepare myself to visit your blog, Shawn. It constantly shreds me.
SHAWN, YOU ARE TRULY BLESSED WITH YOUR FRIENDS. I ALWAYS LOVE WHAT YOU WRITE, AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE COMENTS. THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT ALL. I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE READ YOUR STORY IN THE PATRIOT NEWS, AS YOU WERE GETTING READY TO START YOUR JOURNEY WITH YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY, AND WILLIE, I THINK WILLIE, THE PERSON, WOULD ENJOY READING ABOUT YOUR ADVENTURES IN THE BIG BLUE BUS, HIS NAMESAKE.,…….JUST A THOUGHT..