Recently, a beloved brother accused me of saying what I hadn’t said. The brother recuperating from a long term illness, I felt it pointless to argue over the matter. So, what did I do? I apologised of course. And guess what, at the time I actually felt like a hero. Indeed in my mind’s eye, it was the modern day equivalent of turning the other cheek. I am now truly walking in the footsteps of my Master, I convinced myself. But a few days later, I started feeling more than a tad short-changed over the whole episode.

While maintaining that I harboured no resentment towards my brother, before going to bed I hatched a plan on how to handle him in future. I will be extra careful the way I carry myself around him. I will never as much say a word to him except somebody else is within earshot. And on and on went this great plan of mine until I fell asleep.

Now, like most Christians, God often talks to me through His word in the Bible. But Brethren you see, sometimes I am so hard of hearing that our dear Lord is left with no other choice than to slay me with sleep, and then visit me through visions at night. Last night, I had such an instructional dream, on, of all subjects, that of forgiveness and the real meaning of brotherliness. Incredible.

In my sleep I found myself humming and dancing to a song I am absolutely certain I haven’t listened to since my university days thirty years ago. It was a song so far in the distance that, when I woke up from what indeed was a most peculiar dream, I didn’t remember the name of the artist of the song, or the title song either. I did however remember that it had something to do with light and windows and I remembered the tune so well too. I soon discovered that the song I was after was ‘I’ll Keep My Light in My Window’ by The Temptations.

Up since the crack of dawn, I haven’t stopped listening to the track on You Tube all morning. And when you go online and read the lyrics of this amazing song, in the light of my unforgiven attitude of the past week, you will truly understand why rather than boogie as I tirelessly did in my adolescent years, this morning however I have been listening to the song amidst a deluge of tears. God truly works in mysterious ways!

Simon Peter once asked Christ how many times his brother could get away with offending him before he drew a line? ‘Seven times’, he shrieked. Nay, not seven times, Jesus admonished him. But seventy times seven. A whooping 490 times in one day, it transpired. Now, my own brother offends me once and bring down the drawbridge. This following Christ is no walk in the park, Brethren! No wonder Apostle Paul, even in the twilight of his life, was still hankering for more of Him.

‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.’ (Philippians 3:10)

Thank God for dreams and the Temptations. I have been reminded that I am a fallen man in the hands of a gracious God.

Dear Lord, truly humble us in our hearts today. And Lord Jesus cause us, as your ambassadors, to truly reflect you in all that we say and do. Amen.

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