Have you ever had something from the past gnawing away inside, leaving you feeling unsettled most of the time? Is there something even now that constantly on your mind, something you wish you could erase from years ago?
72 year old Bill Teitleff kept a secret for 54 years, but he finally had to come clean and make amends.
In May 1958 Bill stole two hydrangeas from Centennial Park in Nashville. He was recently married and didn’t have money for a Mother’s Day gift. He’s now returned plants from the root system of those he stole all those years ago.
“I knew it was wrong. I thought all along that I was borrowing them. But this stayed with me all this time,” Teitleff said. “Now it’s been 54 years, and I’ve got the root and same flowers that they have accepted back now. This doesn’t clear what I did. That’s between me and him (points to the sky). But this is between me and the people here at the park, and they’ve accepted wholeheartedly.”
And now, a trip to Centennial Park comes without guilt, without shame and with a lesson to fix what you can. – WSMV.com
It’s amazing how such a small act can help towards healing. Stealing a couple of plants might not be such a big deal but Bill knew it wasn’t right and there was something within that told him he had to sort it out.
One of the interesting things about the story is that Bill lived with the guilt for over 50 years. On one hand it shows us that it’s never too late to start dealing with past issues but on the other it makes me wonder how much better life would be if we all kept short accounts with those we’ve wronged. If we refused to let hurts fester we would experience what Bill now knows, forgiveness and a clear conscience. You can hear it in his words, ” … a trip to Centennial Park comes without guilt, without shame and with a lesson to fix what you can.”
What past hurts are you still hanging on to? How much longer will you let them run around free in your mind? Wouldn’t you rather deal with the past and get on with your future?
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. – James 5:16 NLT
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