Strange answers to prayer

I have, a few times, posted a link to Amy Bixby's blog.  Amy went home to Jesus this morning.  We thank Him for His goodness to her and her family, though as we watched, it was hard to understand some of the things that happened in the past few days.


1. One of the children came down with chicken pox.  The very hard decision was made to move the children out of the home with other families.  As it turns out, this was God's blessing for them.  Within 24 hours, Amy had confusion set in and the decision had to be made to move her into a hospice care home.  We had prayed that the children would not have to see her in a confused state.  We would not have chosen chicken pox, but God allowed them to be with their mother until the very last moment, and then moved them all out.


2. Amy's father-in-law had hand surgery that wasn't/isn't healing well and he had to go home to see his doctor about it.  While he was there, he had a heart attack.  We wouldn't normally think of a heart attack as a blessing, but this allowed him to be home for his children (although they are all adults, they adored their sister-in-law) for the moment of her passing.


My heart aches for my friend and her family, but I know that God was very good to them in Amy's last few days.  


If you pass by and read this, say a prayer for this family as they learn to live without wife and mother.  

Apologies

I think we should take a moment and understand what an apology looks like when it constitutes true sorrow over an act.  I have been seeing a lot of apologies fly around that make a mockery of repentance.


An apology that is truly meant is an apology that says, "I offended you when I(________).  I am so sorry that I came across/acted out so badly."   An apology that smells of truth owns the offense and humbly admits it to the person offended.


Unfortunately, too many apologies I have heard in the last 5 years go along the lines of, "I'm sorry you took what I said/did the wrong way.  You misunderstood me." When your apology makes you the victim, you have not apologized; you have made the offended person the person who is wrong for being offended.


Matthew 18:7 says, "Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!"


People are going to be offended, but Christ did not pronounce woe upon the offended; He proclaimed woe unto the offender.  If you know you have offended someone, make it right.  Just admit the person was offended and be sorry--truly sorry-- that you offended them.  It doesn't matter how silly it was.  Maybe the offended person was having a bad day; maybe you said something without knowing some of their history and you touched a sore spot.  It isn't that person's fault for being offended.  


We need to get over ourselves and take care of the offended instead of blaming them for being offended.