The Bassinet

When my Mom and my cousin had a baby shower for me, my Mom's gift was a hand woven wicker baby bassinet. It was beautiful. It became one of my most treasured possessions. All three of my children used it, and I had planned that my grandchildren would use it as well. Maybe it would become an heirloom in our family for generations to come.

My cousin, Cynthia, who was one of my best friends, became pregnant when both of our youngest were pre-teen age. She borrowed the bassinet for her baby. As the years passed we grew further apart. I had always planned to go and get that bassinet, but we just never found the time to make that 60 mile trip.

When her "baby" was 8 years old, we were finally going to get that bassinet. I called my cousin to tell her that we would be coming but she was not home. I called her mother to see if she knew when Cynthia would be home. As we chatted, I mentioned that the purpose of our trip was to pick up the bassinet. My Aunt said, "Oh you mean that wicker one?" I said, "yes." She proceeded to tell me that it was ruined when her basement was flooded four years previous and it had been thrown out. I was shocked, because for four years my cousin had not told me of the loss of that bassinet. I became very angry and left a message on her answering machine that I was upset with her, and I doubted if I would ever talk to her again. I was so angry and hurt, I cried. For two years I held that anger against her.

I was unhappy and my whole world was suffering because of my anger towards her. I am a Christian, but I was hurt, and angry, I felt betrayed, and she had destroyed something that I treasured very much. However I knew that this was not the way to be towards another person.

I was listening to a Christian program and it pointed out that people were more precious then things. I was reading a article in a Christian magazine, and it pointed out that people were more important then things, and when I went to church the sermon was about people being more important then things. That Sunday I was moved to sit down and write my cousin a letter of apology, and ask her forgiveness, because I realized that she was more important to me then anything of this world. I mailed it and I had a weight lifted off of me, I felt I was right with GOD again.

Monday afternoon I got a call from Cynthia, she wanted to tell me that her brother was moving into a place of his own, and he was looking at the furniture that was stored in their parent's garage to use in his place. In the back of the garage behind all the furniture they found the bassinet!!! It was not in the basement at all, it was in the garage all the time!

GOD moved me to write that letter, and HE knew that my heart was sad, so when I released my pain, and said that my cousin was more important then that bassinet, I got both back! I learned a great lesson about holding anger, and how it hurts the one who is angry, and all those who are in one's life. Where your heart is so is your treasure. I still have that bassinet, and best of all, I have my cousin in my life, again.

[ Source: Christian Voices (http://www.christianvoices.org) -- from 'Wit and Wisdom' ]