REST OF SUMMERY:...lied to real life, so I made up a little story. Here it is.

Ashmaq was not one of the most popular people in his school. In fact, he was among the five or ten least popular students. The other students always made fun of him for being short and such a "nerd", and sometimes they'd even gang up on him and beat him up. This went on for years. At first, he could deal with it, but as time went on he grew more and more bitter and hateful towards the others in his class. He was always searching, searching for someone who cared about him, someone who would love him despite his being such a nerd. Some Christian friends told him about God, but he was skeptical about the command to forgive. No one can forgive his enemies, or else I would have done it long ago he thought scornfully. But one day in the tenth grade, his friend Hayden convinced him to go to Mass with him. There, at last, he was saved. He started reading the Bible in earnest, eagerly absorbing Jesus' teachings and thinking of ways to apply them to his own life. He was still baffled, however, by the command to love all and forgive one's enemies. Why should he forgive those people who had ruined his life? Years of constant teasing had made Ashmaq suspicious about trusting others, and fiercely independent. It occurred to him to ask God for the strength to forgive, but he was wary. He didn't want to rely on God. He could do it himself, he was sure.

About two weeks after he first became a Christian he was reading Luke's account of Jesus' crucifixion. When he read that Jesus forgave His killers even as they were torturing Him to death, Ashmaq was amazed. How could anyone have that much strength? he wondered. The next day, a Monday, Ashmaq went to school as usual. He had a pretty good day, at least until school let out. As he was on his way home, four big guys, football players, surrounded him and started mocking him. "Hey baby, you in the wrong place. This don't be no kindergarten" the leader, Brent, sneered. This had happened enough times for Ashmaq to know what was coming. Always before he'd go home afterward and yell at God for allowing this to happen. Now, as he watched the much larger and stronger guys circling him, he saw things in a different way. Perhaps this could be an opportunity for him learn to better follow Christ's teachings. Ashmaq hesitated and then cautiously began praying for his enemies, something he had never done before. And when they started punching and kicking him instead of cursing them he as usually did, Ashmaq tried asking God to forgive them, and to give him the strength to be able to. As he prayed a strange peace settled over Ashmaq and he stopped seeing his enemies as cruel, heartless bullies, but as lost insecure children. That realization made it easier for Ashmaq to forgive them. In fact, he even felt sorry for them. Ashmaq whispered through a swollen mouth "I forgive you". The bullies stopped and looked down at him.

"What'd you say?" demanded Allan.

"I said...I forgive you." They four boys looked at each other uncertainly and slowly stepped back.

"Why?" asked Brent, eyeing Ashmaq as if he'd lost his mind. Ashmaq sat up, wincing at the soreness in his body.

"Because. It's what God wants." And only by His grace, thought Ashmaq, was I able to do His will.