*Say you saw it in THE MESSENGER*

Page 39 – March 17, 2004

Just a Quick Note from….Rita Allen

Many friends have told me that I should rent the movie, “Radio.”  Last weekend my husband, Philip, and I rented the movie.  Philip had a mentally challenged sister who died at the age of 42 with the mentality of approximately a 2^nd or 3^rd grader.  She was the joy of our lives.  My two children would play with her as if she was no different from them. Anna was able to cut to the chase in many circumstances with comments that would put selfish, arrogant individuals to shame.  Of course, it was accepted because it was Anna, but everyone knew most often it was actually the truth.  “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God.”  ~1 Corinthians 1:27-29   As Radio’s life and personality unfolded before us on the screen, we became part of his family.  It was especially sweet because the movie was based on a true story.  Our hearts were able to love this person because somewhere out there, he really exists!  His Mother told the coach that Radio had a good heart; people just had a hard time seeing it.  I wonder, how many Radio’s do we have in our lives that we just brush aside because they might not fit the socially acceptable standard?  Coach shared with his daughter that once in his life he had failed to help a young boy in need, and in so many words, he was not going to fail this time.  As a result of his giving of himself, he was changed, his family was changed, the school was changed, the community was changed and now, even a whole country is touched by a simple man.  There was one young football player and his father who had the most contempt for Radio.  If they had had their way, Radio would have been “removed” from their lives.  The young football player played a trick on Radio getting him into trouble.  When the Coach questioned Radio about the incident, he would not tell the coach who was responsible.  Some of the other players told Coach who it was.  It hurt Radio’s heart that the boy got into major trouble and the Coach was angry with him.  Radio tried to ease the boy’s pain by giving him a gift.  The boy’s heart was changed.  For Radio to have been hurt so terribly by this boy and yet not want to see the boy hurting….this is the true nature of Christ.  In the end, when the crowds so terribly hurt Christ, he still begged his Father to forgive them, and even still today is our intercessor to the Father.  There is a reason the Bible says, “when you’ve done it to the least of these, you’ve done it unto me.”   Do you have individuals who have done you wrong?  If misfortune befell them, would your heart hurt, or would you secretly be glad because “they had it coming to them?”  We must live a life of forgiveness.  The Bible has much to say about bitterness.  If you harbor anger or bitterness, you are not hurting the other person.  I heard a report several days ago that when an incident of anger overtakes us, our immune system shuts down for six hours.  Have you noticed that angry and bitter people are often sick?  We really do reap what we sow.  Reach out to someone today.  Ask the Lord to help you find a way to mend old hurts and broken relationships.  The morning sun will shine in a different way when you do.