(Photo by Pauline)The grandfather of the family below is the brother to a close friend of ours.
In Nov. 2005, a man driving in the opposite direction swerved into the median and crashed into the vehicle of Jeffrey Schrock, a young Christian man. He had seen the vehicle abruptly take a hard left into his lane and then the next thing he remembers is waking up to the sound of an elevator bell. He had a broken pelvis, broken jaw and internal bleeding.
His five children riding in the van with him, all under the age of 13, went to be with the Lord that day.
The other driver, a man named Clifford Helm, who only suffered minor injuries, said he blacked out and didn't remember what happened. What followed was a two-and-a-half year long criminal trial for 5 counts of vehicular homicide.
Jason Schrock, the grandfather, said, "It's a response of a Christian to the teaching of Jesus where He was very clear that we should be forgiving of those that would do things against us." (Intentional or not).
The Schrock family and the Helms have had lots of interaction since the accident -- sharing meals and doing work projects together. The families even sat next to each other during court. Jason Schrock said, "We've had quite a bit of interaction, and yes, it is somewhat tough for us to see this (the trial), because we don't really want to see him put away or that sort of thing."
The reporter said, "Jason Schrock said forgiving the man was a decision he made long ago -- long before the crash -- that his faith says he must forgive those who harm him."
Then Jason Schrock said, "It's not something that comes natural. But it's something that needs to be decided in one's mind prior to an event like this. If you'd wait until events like this and then you'd say, 'Alright, now I need to figure out how I'm going to forgive this man,' -- that won't work. It has to be a heart condition before you ever get there."
In March 2008, Clifford Helm was pronounced not guilty by a jury on all counts.
Jesus commanded us in Matthew 5:44 and 45: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven..." It IS possible by God's strength, if we truly humble ourselves and call on Him, cry out to Him. We can be free from the bondage of bitterness! -- it's a promise from God.
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