" A strange thing happened in the Cemetery today!"

" A strange thing happened in the Cemetery today!"

I drove up to Blue Lake today to just sit, view the lake and think. It is a quiet woodland lake, perfect for thinking, and seeking the Lord. I had been reading a book about forgiveness and recovery from addition with the help of GOD. As I was there I felt a urge to drive over to the Eel River Cemetery to see if I could find my Daughters, boyfriend Jeremy's grave site, He had been engaged to my daughter and was tragically killed in a car crash.
As I was driving I kept looking at the old markers and stones from the 1700 and 1800's. I love to read the one's that are still ledge-able. Once I found one with my children. It profoundly had effect on my heart for eternity. The writing was barely visible. It had a human fist carved in it, with the pointer finger, pointing straight up to heaven. The words were this... "One's Life Will Soon Be Past... Only What's Done For Christ Will Last!
Suddenly I found myself in the new section of the cemetery, I turned a corner there was a huge black head stone with the name Brunson on it. I slowly drove closer and there was the names of two people I had known from the past who I knew from church we went to and I knew they were not yet deceased. James and Marilu Brunson and on the same stone was written Son Jeffery Scott Brunson Born June 25, 1962 - Died May 17, 2007.
I just sat there in the truck starring at his name. I knew it well. And as a child I knew him well. We had been classmates in grade school for years! Jeff and I never got along very well. I was obese and he made a point of calling me "fat" names on a daily basis.
When I would see him coming I would try and avoid him, at all costs. Let there be no doubt, Jeff was a mean BULLY. I was bullied by him constantly for years!
One day he was making his usual fun of me, while we were coming out of the 6th grade band class. We had been in the mobile class room, with steel chairs and a shaky railing.
Jeff pushed me hard and I fell all the way down the stairs and landed squarely on my right ankle. I just laid there, with the wind knocked out of me and the PAIN, :( OH THE PAIN in that ankle! :affraid: When I finally was able to get up, I hopped all the way into the school and sat on the steps and cried. He came in and laughed at me and made even more fun of me. I just felt such rage and anger come up in me. :oops: :x
Finally some adult helped me. They wrapped my ankle and sent me home.
No one took me to the doctors. The ankle was tremendously swollen. It took weeks and weeks to heal up enough so I could walk on it with all my weight. Afterwards I had one sprained ankle after another. The ankle was so weak it never really returned to normal. One day I sprained it so badly that I was taken to the hospital to have it x-rayed. I was told that it was not broken, but that it once had been broken and it had healed up but not perfectly straight. To this day over 40 years later, I still have trouble with it and it is always and forever swollen.
I had many more run in's with Jeff and they were never good.
Once I lied about my age to join our Church youth group. I was a very troubled child and needed to feel that I was loved and a part of something good. Jeff told his sister that I was not old enough to be in the group and so I was promptly kicked out. Jeff made a huge scene in our class room at school, telling everyone how I lied about my age and was kicked out of the youth group. He always made fun of me in front of all the other kids and they would laugh at me too. Mostly about me being overweight. I hated school and I hated Jeff.
Well there I was in the cemetery just starring at Jeff's grave, for what seemed like a very long time. I hadn't thought of him in years except when my ankle pains me. Yet there I was. We were born the same year 1962. I knew in my heart that this was a GOD THING! God wanted me to see his grave. God wanted to see if I would choose to once and for all, forgive Jeff and let Jesus heal my wounds that obviously were still festering and open, even after all these years! When I did an online search with his name I came across his Memorial on Heartland Communities on myspace and when I looked at his picture, I had no revengeful feelings as I certainly had as a child and young teen. No feelings of gloating over his death. Just sadness and sorrow that his life had ended so soon.
So Jeff if you are looking over the balcony of Heaven, I want you to know. I forgive you for all of the wrongs that you did to me. I forgive you for all the pain I felt and tears I shed. I can honestly say Jeff I love you with the love of the Lord Jesus.
Thank GOD for JESUS who I asked into my heart in On September 21, 1981 and I have never been the same. I have come a long, long way and I still have a long way to go. But I go from Glory to Glory with Him and He is healing all my brokenness.

Rest in Peace Jeffery Brunson. Love in Christ, Gwyn L. (Singleton) Ditmars

By Gwyn L. Ditmars

Wow, what an awesome story of forgiveness. I loved it. I love childhood stories, especially ones with a moral.

Struggling with these same issues, I pray to forgive I say I forgive but the pain...seems to find it's way back. In my case it's not so much the bullies but the lack of repentance even when confronted they lied. Worst of all undermined any hope I'd ever have as a functional family member, chided, kept at a distance, alienated because of the "lies" I was telling. They thought I was crazy and that's how they continued looking at me. A sad pathetic jealous liar who envied them and was to be patronized and pitied because he was not all there, after too long I began to believe this...live this.

Awesome story, It is ridiculous to hold a grudge against the dead, they are no longer capable of sin...but sons and daughters (descendants, especially family) should possess enough sensitivy and compassion to acknowledge and understand the sins of their Father's including my own Father and my own sins. God will not hold us accountable for sins confessed and forgiven by the Son but...for those we knowingly deny them. Especially after having been made aware of them. WOE BE UNTO THEM.

Dear Oneagleswings,

Love covers a multitude of sin. Sometimes people are so small, that they cannot face the truth about themselves, let alone about others in their lives that they have hurt or those who have hurt them. I know because of my own inability to confess tho others the evil I have done to them in the past, things that they don't even remember or hold against me. But although I have confessed these to the Lord, I still know what I have done and who I have done it to.
Since confession to them now would only break many hearts, and cause insurmountable pain, I keep this knowledge to myself. For I know that LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SIN.
If I thought that my past behavior and actions were coming between the family members and myself, I would feel I would have to confess and ask for forgiveness. Simply stated you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. God's mercy can break out on them at anytime and Since God is LOVE, Love will cover it all!

I understand how you feel my brother. But please be patient. God is not finished yet.

Love in Christ, Gwyn L. Ditmars

This is very good advice I thank you for the love and spirit in which it was conveyed most eloquently.
These words were priceless to me...no actually came at a very high price 'a ransom' paid in full.
" I understand how you feel my brother. But please be patient. God is not finished yet."

God Bless you and thank you very much,
Love, Anthony.

What a great story. I am so glad that you were able to forgive him, because this is what sets YOU free; Forgiveness cleanses and frees the hurt, not the hurter. Thank you for sharing.