Two Views of One Place…………
Have you ever had an experience that shook you to the core. I did a few years ago. At Nikon we have to turn in expense reports to get personal reimbursement and to get charges paid by the company to our corporate credit card. I turned in a expense report that had an error, it was an honest mistake, but it did look suspect. A person, who will remain un-named, in accounting, flagged the error and told my boss and his boss that he thought he had found a thief in our department. My boss assured him that he was welcome to investigate me to their hearts content and he was certain that an audit would find nothing dishonest in my dealings with the company. What proceeded was a deep and long forensic audit as they attempted to prove they were right, that in fact, I was dishonest. Three months later, and hour and hours of compiling and resubmitting reports, the final findings were announced, the company owed me $310. in un-submitted expenses that I had failed to turn in for myself. I was cleared of any wrong doing. I came within a hair of resigning. Nothing makes me madder than to be falsely accused of something! Especially something like this!
Let’s go to scripture for a little lesson on how we should respond to false accusations;
Isaiah 53 New Living Translation (NLT)
1 Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.[b]
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.[c]
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
I was very, very angry because I had been accused of something I did not do and would never do. I’m not perfect and I have made mistakes but I didn’t make this one! Jesus never did anything wrong, never, ever!!! And yet He died and took the blame for all the sins of all mankind, for all time!!! Read one copy of one newspaper and see the enormous number of sins in one city, in one state, in one week! Think of being blamed and paying for all the sins of all mankind forever, past, present, and future! In the scripture above it says, “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”
Was I so gracious? Not on your life! I was wronged and demanded satisfaction. Jesus didn’t deserve any of what happened to him, but He did it willingly for you and I. Jesus did not even hate those that persecuted and crucified Him. Hanging on the cross He looked down at those that had driven the nails through His hands and feet and said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
I have so much to learn, Father.
There are two ways to look at things in life, through our eyes or His eyes. Just as Kent Irvin, (top image) and Jim Haverstock, (lower image) both saw the same lighthouse, but they saw it in different ways. If we are to follow in His footsteps we have to see the world and all that happens in it, in a different way than we see it as mere human beings. We must see the world as He sees it. Is that possible? No, not without the enduring power and wisdom of His Holy Spirit. We can rise above the circumstances of this life, but we can’t do it alone. Fortunately, on Christmas Day over two thousand years ago a baby was born, who would free us from all that would defeat us, including ourselves.
The man that called me a thief? For years I’ve felt the hurt and anger of that event, today I am letting it go, I forgive him. I can do no less, and serve my Master, Who taught me how to, “See things differently…..”
Get to know Him today, and be free at last……….
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Friday, December 9th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
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Bill,
Thanks for your openness. I went through a similar situation several years ago. Maybe we can share the war stories sometime. Letting go of the pain caused by being treated in this fashion is difficult when you spend so much effort on trying to be above reproach. The feeling of freedom that God provides by letting His Love and His Grace that dwell within you overwhelm our human grudges is refreshing and motivating.
Learning to see the world through His eyes is surely a lifelong journey. I hope that I am slowing down enough each day to practice.
Tim
Tim, I think you are absolutely right, it takes time and Hi grace an power!
Tim,
You are so right, overwhelmed is s great word for His all encompassing power for our lives!
Thank you for sharing both your story and Christ’s. Beautifully said and beautifully illustrated by the difference in perspective of Kent and Jim’s photos. Thank you, Bill, for pointing us toward the true reason for Christmas. Great photos, Kent and Jim.
I had a similar experience 24 years ago when I waited tables trying to get thru school. My job was to slice lemons and I had to borrow the chef’s knife (at his convenience) to slice because it sliced clean and kept the slice juicy. For some reason I have always loved how a good sharp knife slices the food so clean. Well, I decided to use some of my tip money to buy a knife just likes the chef’s so I could slice at MY convenience. I was really pumped to have my new knife but a couple of days later the manager called me in and accused me of stealing the chef’s knife (they could not find his). I was devastated. I told him it was my knife but could not prove it. I needed the job and so I gave him the knife (which wasn’t cheap) and said some things I should not have said. He told me to leave and said for me to call him before coming back to work. I went home mad and scared, thinking only about me (I did not truly know the Lord then). Well the next day they found the chef’s knife and I was clear and he said I could come back to work but I still just thought about me and being accused. I know today I would have prayed about this and trusted Him for it to run its course. I’d still be frustrated, but I would hope to behave more like Christ. Because we are to be an example of His love and glory. Isaiah 53 has never really hit me like this before. Thanks Bill. Rodney
Bill,
The exact same thing happened to me at my previous job. A another department head said I was accepting a favor because I went sailing with a vendor who provided services to the company. The manager never asked me about the boat ride but told his boss. If they had asked me I could have told them it was my boat and I took them out for a short boat ride.
I was beyond mad and I told the manager off. I am far from perfect but I never have cheated my employeer. I never though about Jesus and how he would haved responded. I know now it would not have been like I did!
Thanks for your insite. You photo are great but I come to read your blog.
Bill
He never said our walk would be easy, just overshadowed by Him!
It’s a tough one to let go… For some reason we all seem to have to face that particular test. It is the hardest thing to do… Prove a negative.
You are dead on about that!
What a beautifulway of illustrating life through photography, the way faith can uplift us through a personal unpleasantness. You have the gift of teaching. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks for being my friend and brother!
Bill,
You talked about seeing the same things in two different way. What a blessing it was/is that God used this misunderstanding to proclaim a message to others about your character and honesty BECAUSE of your love for HIM. You boss has FULL confidence in you–because of the example of the life you live before him, and now those who look for wrong see “here is a man of rare character in a world that is only looking out for itself! What makes him so different from others??” I’m sure that this experience will cause them to take note of you in the future and they too will be touched by the message that God is shining through your life. HAD THIS NOT HAPPENED they probably wouldn’t have taken any further notice of you than any other employee. With God there are no coincidences…..
Love you, Brother!! May God continue to bless and proclaim His love through you.
Very Sincerely,
Howie
I’m so thankful He got it straight, and keeps it that way!
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