I once heard this story about this woman who lived in Africa.

She had a husban and a son.

One night a group of men who lived in the same village came to her house in the middle of the night, set fire to everything but the front door and waited.

In desperation the family of three ran towards the front to door only the meet a cruel bashing which left them inconscience.

When the woman and her son awoke the next day they discovered the father has been taken and everything they had ever owned had been destroyed.

Many weeks pasted and no one heard or saw anything of the father.

The mother and son started to re-build their lives but in a matter of months the men who had taken the father return but this time they took the son right out of the mothers arms.

Years pasted. She was left with nothing and came to the conculsion of reality and knew she would never see them again

The goverment finally got hold of the men who had done this to the women.

They stood trial and the women appeared as a witness. The leader of the group (i cant remember his name so lets says its John) and the others who had been accountable were found guitly.

Throughout the trail John revealed that they had taken the father, and later on the son, to a palce near the river where they had tortoured and burnt them both alive. The women stood by hearing this come out of the man's mouth who had destroyed her family.

The percercution turned to the women and said what punishment are these men deserving of?

The Women paused and thought for a few minutes.

She then stood up in front of the court and said 'I only ask three things,'

John looked at the ground, this women had the power to influence the courts decision in the direction of the death penalty as punishment. No one was capable of forgiving what he had done and he knew what he deserved.

The women said firstly, I ask that im taken to the place where my only son and my husban were excercuted so that I may give them a proper burial. Secondly, I ask that this man (John) allow me to embrace him as my own, as he's a rid me of mine, he shall become my son. And thirdly I ask that he comes and walks with me every week so we might pray together and share a friendship as mother and son.

The shock of the court was unbelieveable. This women had lost everything, her husban, her only son and her house and belongings.

This women was a Christain and had an amazing sense of forgiveness that many people find impossible to grasp throughout their life time. She had a passion in her heart and everlasting trust in God which helped her gain strength and peace.

This is proberly one of the greatest and most influencial stories I have ever heard and the fact that its true and really happened helps me realise how real God is.