What If They Would Have Reconciled?

Ah, good old Lucy and Ricky - we always saw them kiss and make up at the end of their shows. Unfortunately though, we all know too well that that wasn't the story of their real lives together. I once heard Lucie Arnaz say that had Lucy and Desi really had the option of marriage counseling and known how to go through the process they might have made it.

Our pastor had a really thought provoking sermon about reconciliation last week, and here are the points that he made:

1 - God desires reconciliation. He takes the initiative for us to be reconciled to Him so we need to take the initiative to be reconciled to others.

2 - Christ humbled himself so we need to humble ourselves to reconcile with others, even if we don't think we did anything to hurt someone else.

3 - He suffered for our sin so we need to be willing to suffer the pain we probably will feel from trying to reconcile with others.

4 - He invites reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:20) so we need to extend that invitation to others.

5 - He forgives our offenses so we need to forgive the offenses of others. After all, we want to be forgiven, don't we?

Believe me, I know all too well how hard it is to take that initiative. Though hurt and anger can almost paralyze us to the point of thinking we can never make that first step again, we must try. Unforgiveness in our hearts only hurts us and the people around us. And, we can never really be the "new creation in Christ" that Christ wants us to be if we focus on the hurt and anger which ultimately leads to death. While my husband and I were working through our very long reconciliation, I always said our love would be deeper than the pain. Christ was the source of our reconciliation so He was (and is) the source of our love. Was it hard? Oh boy, you better believe it! It was a step by step process and sometimes we would take two steps forward and three steps backward. In the end it was worth it! There is not a day that doesn't go by that we don't thank God for reconciling us together!

So, I would encourage you to reconcile with whomever may be hurting you in your life and trust that God can do immeasurably more than you could ever imagine!! And, I would also encourage you to take at look at yourself and ask God if you have hurt anyone. Sometimes we don't see our offenses because we are so busy focusing on the offenses of others. I need help with that all the time!!

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you , being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

So, what if they had been reconciled? What would that have done for their children, Lucie and Desi Jr. ? And what would that have done for us Americans who loved them so much and still do?