From Pauls page.... On May 11th, 2002, a drunk driver killed Renee Napier‘s daughter, Meagan, The driver, Eric Smallridge, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. In the midst of grieving the loss of her daughter, Renee came to forgive Eric. I could be angry, hateful and bitter, she said. But I didn’t want to live my life that way. There was no way I could move on and live a happy life without forgiving Eric. Less than two years after Meagans death, Renee began her journey giving DUI Presentations at high schools, colleges, the military, churches, and to DUI offenders. Renee tells the story of Erics decision to drink and drive and the healing power of forgiveness. In April 2010, Eric was granted permission to join Renee in her speaking campaign. Renee and Eric are passionate about their mission to stop DUI. Eric has since been released from prison. Renee and others appealed to the judge to switch his two 11 year sentences from consecutive to concurrent. In forgiveness Renee has found the ability to embrace freedom. She chose to live with passion and purpose rather than being addicted to revenge or rage. Eric is still working on the process of forgiving himself. Most hurts that trigger our impulse to revenge are not as severe as Renee’s; yet the dynamics of forgiveness are the same. Never easy, the work of forgiveness is for the bold and persistent. The prize, embracing freedom, is well worth the effort. Sunday we’ll discover these dynamics.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Apr 2014 13:36:22 +0000