God

An essay…

September 19, 2012

I try to preach the gospel at all times to all people; with words, without words, to stone-hearted pagans, and to soft-hearted unbelievers. As part of a university assignment, I had to write an essay on “the kindest thing that someone did for me.” Knowing Tejas, what would be the first thing to come to his mind after reading that? Well, read on. The following text is what I penned down in my essay.

The Kindest Thing That Someone Did For Me

I am, in no measure, a “good person.” I’ve done dozens upon dozens of stupid things, bad deeds and the like. I remember one time, around age 8, stealing a small amount of money from my mother to go out and buy an ice-cream sandwich. Since then, I’ve only gotten worse.

It’s a good thing that this story is not about me. What a disaster that would be! No; this story is about a friend of mine. A friend who stuck with me through thick and thin. A friend who persevered with me in sickness and in health. A friend to me, even when I was his enemy.

This friend chose me, far before I chose him; loved me, far before I loved him. For reasons I cannot fathom, this friend of mine, took time out of his busy schedule, set aside his social status and chose to mingle with, and to be a friend of a loser like me.

Consistently, I thought him to be a fool. After all, why else would one find a friend in a person as depraved as I? For sure, he must have had something wrong with him, mentally speaking. My opinion of this madman remained thus, until one day in particular.

On this day, this “friend” I presumed to be mentally challenged, was revealed to be so much more. On this day, this friend that I betrayed, revealed his eternal faithfulness. On this day, this friend that I had hated, revealed his unfailing love and affection for me in the greatest act of kindness I had ever known.

Being as morally corrupt as I am, I have broken more than a few laws in my day. I have defrauded my government, I have stolen, I have murdered, I have committed adultery, I have lied, I have cheated, I have betrayed. The day of my sentencing drew ever so near, the day of my inevitable imprisonment approached quickly, like ocean waves to the shore.

On that day, the day I was to be imprisoned, the day I was to pay the price, the day of my reckoning… there he was. The friend that I once despised, the friend that everyone rejected… there he was: willing and ready to stand in my place, as my substitute; ready to bear the penalties that I deserved.

This friend whom I once thought mad gave his life for me.
In memory of this act of pure kindness and grace, I resolve to live mine for him.

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