I knew what the authorities wanted me to do, but I also knew what God wanted.
During Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, Palestinian families get together to share a meal in a different home each evening. As a single woman, I was adopted by at least three families, so I never lacked for a place to break the fast. I fasted with my Muslim friends and also spent much time praying for them.
One evening after iftar (the meal breaking the fast), I returned to my apartment to discover my laptop and printer had been stolen. I went upstairs to my landlord’s family and told them about the missing items. Their younger son said he had seen a blue car and a young man—who was the son of one of my good friends—leaving our building with a big package.
My landlord insisted we go to the police station and file a report. He told the police officers our suspicions. They questioned the young man about what he had witnessed and wrote a report. It didn’t take them long to locate the thief. He confessed he had stolen money from me, in addition to the computer and printer.
About midnight, my doorbell rang. At my door was the young man’s mother and one of her cousins. Crying loudly in great anguish, she begged me not to press charges. She and her cousin promised to return everything the next morning.
Even though I felt betrayed, I knew Christ’s words about forgiveness applied to me. The authorities wanted me to press charges, but I knew what God would do. Forgiveness was the best choice.
Never forget that God has given you the grace to forgive.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
For thirty-five years, Patricia Frost was an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher employed by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. From 1979 to 2014, she served as a missionary teacher in the Middle East. After completing her career overseas, she is now happily married and living at the Martha Franks Baptist Community in Laurens, South Carolina.