A male co-teacher, who became principal when my husband was called to another administrative work, accused me in public of malversing funds. Since there was no truth in the charge, I reacted strongly to his accusations. We exchanged some cruel words.
Two weeks went by and neither my accuser nor myself made any attempt at reconciliation. As each day passed I found my resentment growing and growing. Soon I was unable to sleep or eat.
After much prayer, I took the initiative and went to see him in his office. Naturally he grew quite defensive as I told him how unjust his accusations were and how hurt I felt. Unfortunately, nothing was resolved in the encounter.
The trauma of being charged for something I had not done settled over me like a black cloud. I secluded myself and avoided responsibilities. I became more depressed as days passed. God knew I was innocent, yet the accusations weighed heavily on my heart.
Finally, I asked the chairman of the school board to mediate. He invited the principal and me to his office. The meeting began with prayer, and we were each given a chance to relate our side of the incident.
It was at that meeting that 'realized that explanations would be useless. Instead of calmly discussing the issues and solving the problem, the principal hurled more vicious remarks at me.
It was then that God spoke to me, "Love him. Forget every word he has uttered. I know you didn't do it!"
I turned to my accuser and gently told him, "Let's end this confrontation. We will never resolve the problem by throwing 'rocks' at one other."
With the chairman as witness, I apologized to the principal for the remarks I had made.
Sensing the direction our discussion had taken and perceiving my changed attitude, my accuser broke down sobbing, "Can you forgive me for all the pain I've caused you?" We both realized the long process of healing had just begun.
Christ said: "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" (Matt. 5:46).
