Chapel:
After school lute out Jeff headed to St. Peter's Chapel. It was short walk to the Chapel, only a couple of blocks. On outside the chapel was rather simple, made of fine wood and stone. The most significant part of It's design was the statue of Peter upon the steeple. Jeff entered into the sanctuary. As he walked on red carpet he passed many empty pews. In front row was a familar figure, somone from school.
Jeff took seat next to his fellow student.
Me: Hello Jack.
Jack: Hello Jeff.
Me: I haven't seen you here before.
Jack: That's because I just started coming.. after school. I come here to think and pray.
Me: Well this is a good place to do both.
Jack: Yes it is.
Me: It's refreshing to know I'm not alone.
Jack: alone?
Me: That I'm not the only Christian at Grant High.
Jack: Yeah.. well Grace is too.. or well she use to.
Me: Use to?
Jack: Well.. ever since she started dating Ricky.. she's been less interested in coming to Church.. infact she rarely talks about God anymore.
Me: That is a shame.
Jack: Yes it is.. I mean she use to be so virtious.. so innocent.. now she is.. well.
Me: We all are sinners.. and we all make mistakes. All we can do is pray for Grace.. that she stay true to her faith.
Jack: Yeah..
Me: I sense something else troubles you.
Jack: You can sense that?
Me: Rather assume.
Jack: Well your assumptions are right.
Me: Do you want to talk about it?
Jack: Well.. since I know we both share the same faith.. I guess I should confess to a brother. You see I did something terrible not too long ago and It's been haunting me ever since. I've asked for forgiveness, but I still carry the shame.
Me: I see.
Jack: I just don't know how to shake it off.. I mean I know I'm forgiven.. but I can't help feeling guilty.
Me: That's normal.. you see.. God has forgiven you.. but you haven't forgiven yourself. You have to be able to face you did a bad thing, but that you arn't a bad person for having done it. It was as you said.. a mistake and the only reason you still feel the shame is because your hating yourself for having made that mistake.
Jack: How.. how do I forgive myself for what I did?
Me: You have start over.. you have to learn to love yourself again.. to believe that you are a good person.. no matter what people say or what your mind says. You have to focus on the goal.. the goal being that you want to live rightiously. So you made a mistake.. who hasn't? You can't keep beating yourself up about it.. you have to move on and realize that yesterday is forgiven.. that today is forigven and tomorrow is forgiven.
Jack: I think I understand.
Me: Good.. lute me leave you with a story.. there was man named David who loved God and lived rightiously. One day he saw lady bathing and he lusted for that women. He even had her husband sent to frontlines so that he could have her as a wife. Later when David was confronted about his sin.. he was repentant. To this day David is known as a Man after God's own heart.. yes he made a big mistake.. but in end he was repentant and went on loving God and trying his best to live rightiously.
Jack was silent for a moment. Jeff had no idea that the story he had told had such signifcance for Jack. When Jeff got up to leave, Jack stopped him.
Jack: Thank you.
Jeff: Your welcome.
Jeff then with smile and quick prayer left the Chapel.