In order to protect myself from becoming overly cynical and critical of the human family, I choose to believe that most people are honest and decent. We certainly see this in times of tragedy and devastation as we have seen with the outpouring of love and compassion in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and as we watch with keen interest the approach of Irma.

And yet, at the same time, we see the exact opposite. We see those who take advantage of the misfortune of others for their own benefit. We witness stealing and looting, we observe price-gouging and greed – indeed, right along-side those who will make sacrifices for the good of others, we see those who will take advantage of others in any way possible.

I realize that in light of the devastation we are witnessing through the destructive power of these storms what I am about to share is nothing. I would like to share a personal incident that illustrates that everyone is not honest and decent. I have suffered from lower back and hip problems for several years. In striving to find something to bring some semblance of relief, I began researching mattresses which were advertised to help ease the pain and discomfort. I finally found one that I thought would help, so I placed the order and eagerly awaited the arrival of this amazing (so they said) sleep aid.

The mattress was delivered last Friday. My wife and I were out of town when the delivery was made, so, someone helped themselves to our delivery. Someone pulled their vehicle into our driveway, loaded our high-dollar mattress, and drove off.

I don’t know who did this, and I will probably never know. They are probably enjoying the comfort of this mattress, and if they, like me, suffered from back and joint pain, they are probably enjoying the benefits of the design of this particular model.

If, by any chance whatsoever, the person who is now enjoying our mattress happens to come across this blog, there are a couple of things I would like to say to you. First, as a Christian who strives to live a God-honoring life, I cannot hold a grudge against you. The Bible teaches that once an individual places himself under the Lordship of Christ, he must love and forgive as Christ loves and forgives. So, I forgive you. I bear no ill-will toward you. Obviously, you have never received the saving grace of God, and you are only acting out of your sinful nature. Second, I pray for you. I pray that this act of stealing will weigh heavily on your conscience, and that God might use it as a source of conviction in your life that you are in desperate need of a Savior. And third, I trust that out of that conviction, you will be brought to the point of confession. Confession to God, and then, confession to me. I assure you that if you do come to me in a spirit of sincerity and brokenness, there will be no further action taken. You will be forgiven. As a matter of fact, as far as I am concerned, you are forgiven. But there is One far greater than me from whom you need forgiveness, and that is God Himself. I implore you to turn to him in faith and receive His grace, or you can choose to hold on to your sinfulness, and receive His judgment. The choice is yours.