Daily Wisdom 11-14-2002 Three Healing Words

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Three Healing Words

He was only supposed to be a minor character in that new television series.. But as "Happy Days," the hit series about 1950's teenagers grew in popularity, so did the popularity of a character known as Arthur Fonzarelli - a.k.a., Fonzie or "The Fonz." With his motorcycle and his greased-back hair and his ability to get a girl literally with the snap of his fingers, Fonzie became one of the best known sitcom characters ever. Fonzie was the epitome of "cool" - well, most of the time. He wasn't cool when he tried to say three little words - no, not "I love you." A strange paralysis seemed to take over his tongue whenever he tried to say, "I was wrong." Maybe you remember. It always came out something like, "I was wr-wr-wr-wr-wro-wro..." He never seemed to be able to get those words out.

Fonzie's not the only one who has a hard time getting those words out. Most of us have a very hard time saying, "I was wrong" - there, I did it. It's sad that we struggle so much to admit we've been wrong. So many marriages could have been saved if someone could have said, "I was wrong" So many children could have been saved. So many churches could have avoided an ugly split. So many friendships, so many relationships - all the victim of our unwillingness to be wrong.

In James 5:16, our word for today from the Word of God, He shows us why saying "I was wrong" is so important. He says, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." Admitting you were wrong - opening yourself up to apologizing, to saying you made a mistake - that's got the power to heal hurting and broken relationships. Maybe you're in a situation right now where you've been just too proud or too hurt to make your part of it right. Even if the other person is 90% wrong and you're 10% wrong, can't you at least deal with your 10%? Some of us grew up around a parent who could never be wrong - even when they were. We didn't respect them more for that - we respected them less. A healthy human being doesn't care who is right - they care about what is right. And no one is right all the time. Over the years, I've had to go to the bed of my five-year old son, and say, "I'm sorry, son. I was wrong for what I said to you and what I said to your Mother." But there's healing power in those words, "I was wrong."

I stood by my friend Barry's side the night they were fighting for his daughter Cindy's life in the emergency room. She had tried to kill herself with an overdose of sleeping pills. Thank God, He answered our prayers for her life. And that night Barry went to her and said, "Honey, I've been so wrong for some of the ways I've treated you. I've been treating you in ways that my father treated me - and I hated it when he did it. Please - forgive me - and give me a chance to change." Well, I'll tell you, that night a beautiful father-daughter relationship was born, and it's continued now over these many years. Maybe you need to have a conversation like that. Just don't wait for the emergency room or divorce court.

If you can't say it, write it. But when you've done things you know you shouldn't have done ... or when you have failed to do things you know you should have done - would you be man or woman enough to say the words, "I was wrong." Those little words have the power to heal so much that's broken.

Today's Daily Wisdom is written by Ron Hutchcraft, based on his popular radio broadcast,"A Word With You"."A WORD WITH YOU" daily devotionals are now available via e-mail. To subscribe send a blank email to:awordwithyou-subscribe@hutchcraft.com,or to request the "Yours for Life" booklet, fill out the form on this site:http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/yours/yflorder.html. Ron Hutchcraft Ministries has been on-line with Gospelcom since February, 1996, providingpractical answers to real life issues. (c) 2000 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.PO Box 400, Harrison AR 72602