The Plumeria and The Acorn
Jesus said to pray like this, “. . . And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Sometimes forgiving someone just means to let go of the hurt or the offense so we can be healed of the wound. See how the Lord showed this to Martha Stanley.
While taking the dog out into the back yard several days ago, something unusual caught my eye on a small plumeria plant by the side of our house. A single acorn was sitting upright in the center vein of a plumeria leaf. Apparently, the acorn had fallen from our towering oak tree onto a leaf of the plumeria below, piercing it with the force of the drop. In response to the assault, the plumeria did what plumerias do in such a situation. It secreted a sticky, milky-like substance to try to heal the wound. In the process however, it also captured the acorn, permanently affixing it into the breach.
This phenomenon was so unusual, I asked the Lord what He was trying to teach me. More than a week went by, and nothing came to mind, so I figured the answer would come at the appropriate “teachable moment”.
This morning I was thinking about 2 recent incidences in which I felt I had been wronged. Asking the Lord if He would right the situations, he responded with a clear, “No”. Shocked, I asked why. He said, “What happened to you in both situations was wrong, but I am not going to make either of them right for you. I am teaching you how to just let things go.”
After hearing that sobering response, my mind reflected back to the plumeria and the acorn. In an effort to heal itself (the wound), the plumeria also captured the acorn (the offense). Unless the acorn is removed, the wound will never heal properly. However, the acorn is now so sealed into the wound that the leaf cannot remove it on its own. It will need some outside help. Removal of the acorn will open up the wound again, the milky substance will be secreted, but the wound will heal properly. The leaf will just have the let the acorn go if it is to be healed.