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Flowers of Forgiveness
This story is true, but the names of the people have been changed due to sensitivity.
Can you imagine what it would be like to grow up as a Pentecostal pastor’s son in a Communist country? It would not be easy. The following story is true, but the names have been changed due to sensitivity.
When Ivan was just a year old, the KGB burst into his family's home at 4 a.m. Ivan’s father was a Pentecostal pastor in a small town in the Soviet Union. Searching the house, KGB agents found a Bible. The boy's father was arrested, tried, and sentenced to six years of hard labor.
When Ivan was ten years old, he refused to take the red scarf of the Pioneers, the first phase of joining the Communist Youth Party. If he agreed to take the pledge, he would have to deny the God his father had taught him to love. The boy's Communist teacher brought him in front of the 360 fellow students. She slapped his face back and forth, mocking him. "You are stupid because you are a Christian," she shouted. "You will never have an education. All you will ever do is drive a horse wagon."
During that era, a child was a hero if he betrayed his friends who were disloyal to Communism. Young Pioneers spied on those who attended church on Sunday and told their Communist teachers on Monday. The teachers would order the Christian children to stand in class and would publicly ridicule them in front of the other students.
After many years, Ivan grew up and moved to the United States. But his home country was always on his heart. So Ivan decided to go back to the village where he grew up. He had no idea what he would find when he returned. The first thing Ivan did was to see if the school he attended was still there. Much to his surprise it was, but the school was dilapidated, unpainted, and unkept for many years. His former teachers, now old women, were also there. They didn't recognize Ivan, of course, but when he told them who he was they remembered him… the pastor's son.
These were the same teachers who ridiculed Ivan as a young boy and had treated him so cruelly. These were the teachers who publicly made him stand in front of the other students and slapped him and tried to get him to deny Christ.
What would Ivan say to them? What would he do?
As a Christian, Ivan had compassion for his teachers. When he met them, he didn’t say much—he just gave them flowers. To these people, a gift of flowers is a warm, affectionate gesture.
These teachers expected this young man to take revenge and to yell at them, but instead Ivan gave them flowers. These teachers were overwhelmed. They didn’t know what to say or do. They just lowered their faces and asked Ivan to forgive them for how they had treated him.
Ivan did forgive them… and more. His former teachers poured their hearts out to him. They had no funds left for school supplies; and since the fall of Communism, their pensions were gone.
The boy they had once persecuted now personally paid to have his old school repainted and fixed up. He even contacted other students and helped establish a pension fund for the teachers, contributing generously himself.
Did his acts of forgiveness have any effect?
It sure did. Now two of his former teachers are Christians and attend the church that his father once pastored. Ivan showed the love of Jesus to these teachers, and now they are serving the God that they once mocked.
The information for this story was supplied and is being used with permission from the Assemblies of God World Missions.
©2002 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the local church. Any other use requires written permission. |
