The Eyes Have It! A Post in Honor of Integrity

"The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is good your whole body
will be full of light. But if your eye is bad your whole body will be full
of darkness. If therefore the light that in you is darkness, how great is
that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23.

I have two pictures in my head from my time with Bob and both are a set of eyes.

Bob's (my perpetrator) darkness that appeared to be stabbing out at me from his one seeing eye seemed confused and fearful and evil . And Tom's (my present pastor) eyes that met mine each time I hit a hard spot and had to look away from Bob's darkness and lies. Tom's eyes were gentle and caring and full of light and encouragement. The difference in these two men's eyes was phenomenal.

Bob's eyes were frightening, frightened, angry, deceptive, and evil looking. Tom's eyes said, "I believe you. I believe in you. I am walking with you."

Of everything in the meeting those two pictures stand out. Two pastor's eyes. One pastor, so full of evil, that it has devoured his life and who knows how many other's, and the other full of light - light that he gave to me - but light that did not originate with him.

Bob's darkness invaded my life in November of 1972, and on Tues. July 3, 2007 I shook off the remaining darkness and cast it aside and stepped into the complete light - in the presence of Bob but I stepped alone, without him. All was exposed and laid out in the light of truth.

Truth was declared to the one who has lived in the darkness of lies. The truth was offered to Bob, through me, but not only by me. I honestly believe God offered him the chance to walk into the light with me, but Bob chose not to take it.

I feel sad that Bob chose to keep the darkness in his soul. I feel gratitude that Tom shared the light of God with me that day, and to him I offer this public thank you.

Thank you my pastor and my friend. It is hard to believe I have only
known you for 9 months, the journey has been so intense. I could only do
this because you are part of it. Without you, I could have never found
this place of freedom. I would not have shaken off that darkness.

Tonight, I thank you, to remind myself and all those that come to this
blog, that even though one chose evil, you Tom, chose integrity and light!
Your integrity gave me hope, strength, and allowed me to find my God again.
You chose to take the power of your position and use it to heal. You chose
to give rather than take.

Your choice is one of true power, of agape love, and of our God. May your choice bring others the hope that men can be honorable. That Christ can express himself through the church. That some do choose what is right and good. And for that, I honor you.

As you have given to one of the least of these......may our God give back to you.

Diane