I have not told very many people about this but last November, on the 4th day exactly I was in a car accident. I was not hurt, and neither was the other driver. I was traveling down a hill on my way home and there was a green SUV over on the right side of the road in front of me. They did not have their directional on and stopped suddenly. I tried to pass and suddenly that car turned into me claiming they were going to make a left. It was a young girl and after the accident she got out of her car screaming at me claiming it was my fault. My fault? There were 3 witnesses, 2 were sitting on their porch in front of their home and they told me it was my fault. It was 4 against one! The Police arrived and not only did I have some damage to my car, I also was issued a ticket for "driving on the wrong side of the road." The ticket was for well over $200! The officer told me I would have to appear in court on December 10th, and he told me the fine might be reduced if I show up. Of course he told me "Have a nice day." Sure!
This whole situation stressed me out. I could not believe I was given a ticket trying to avoid a vehicle that was pulled over. The other driver was a young girl, and the Police Officer was a young guy so my theory for a while was of course he would take the side of a young girl and not a gray-haired man like me. I will confess I did not like talking about this. I did lose sleep. My mind would race and think about what happened as well as stressing about this court date. I would have to face a judge, I had the option of hiring a lawyer, something I couldn't afford but I did think a lot about where I was going to get the fine money from. I wasn't sure the judge would be in favor of a transplanted New Yorker. I spent a lot of time praying about this situation asking God to take away my fears and anxiety especially. I will confess I did lose sleep waking up at 3:00 a.m. for many days. That was not good since I needed to wake up for work at 4:30 a.m.
Finally, December 10th arrived. I needed to report to the Town of Irmo Municipal Court at 5:00 p.m. I was nervous. I wondered the following. Will the person in the other vehicle show up? Will she be bringing a lawyer like Perry Mason? Will my fine be doubled? Will my fine be reduced. I went through security, filled out paperwork and anxiously waited for the court session to begin. There were many other cases besides mine. I watched a few cases before my name was called. One case was a man who didn't pay his fines, and he was handcuffed and taken away. Other cases were people paying their fines. The judge told us there were several cases that evening and that we could be there for a few hours. I was fortunate as my case was number eight. The judge called me name and my heart pounded. I wondered if it was possible my ticket fine would be reduced. I said a quick prayer and stood before the judge. I was praying she would not be Judge Judy! The judge read my charge "Crossing a double yellow line driving on the left side of the road etc." All I said was my name and I answered her questions with yes and no. The judge asked if the "other party" was present. I couldn't understand why she would be there unless she was given a ticket. The police officer, who was at the scene of the accident was in front of me on the right and the judge was directly in front of me. The young lady involved with the accident was not present. I took a deep breath, then I heard words from the judge I was very happy to hear. "Since the other party is not present, you are free to go, Mr. Harff. No charge." I thanked the judge, turned around and walked out of the court with a spring in my step. My debt was forgiven. I didn't have to pay the city of Irmo, South Carolina a penny! I was in shock, but I was very grateful. You have no idea.
I am not sharing this to share a cute story about me. Sure, it was a stressful time in my life. Sure, I lost sleep over it. Sure, I was nervous walking into that tiny courthouse building. I did not know my fate whatsoever. I am sharing this story because it reminds me of an amazing event that took place well over 2000 years ago. We all had our debt paid when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. I am not talking about a financial debt; I am talking about our "sin debt." We are all born into this world a sinner. The bible tells us in Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We can't deny the fact that we do sin. Anyone who says they are without sin, just sinned. How? They just lied! In order to be forgiven of our sin, we needed someone to pay the debt of our sin. That's why God sent his one and only son Jesus. Jesus was perfect and without sin. He did miracles by healing the sick and giving the blind sight. Many followed Jesus and all they knew is that He loved them and He would change the world. The Pharisees, who still followed the "old laws" did not appreciate what Jesus was doing and they were instrumental in having Jesus crucified on a cross. Jesus did nothing wrong. He was not a criminal. He did amazing things for the people. He demonstrated love in everything He did. But his greatest act of love was when He took our place on a cross to have our sins forgiven. He shed his blood on that old, rugged cross as those spikes were nailed into his hands and feet. So how did he pay our debt? It was as if he was saying, "Don't punish them. Punish me! I'll take their place!" By taking our place on the cross of Calvary, our debt has been paid.
My debt was forgiven in that small courtroom in Irmo, SC on December 10, 2025, by a nice, understanding judge. My "sin debt" was forgiven well over 2000 years ago by a loving savior named Jesus Christ who took my place on that blood stained cross. That judge blessed me as I did not have to pay a fine. I didn't have to reach into my wallet and pay the city of Irmo, SC money that I really didn't have. My loving savior, Jesus blessed not only me but all of mankind for taking our place on that cross and forgiven our "sin debt." If we accept him into our hearts and ask him to forgive us of our sins, we receive a free gift. Eternal life! I don't know about you, but that puts a huge smile on my face knowing I am going to heaven forever. Not because I am a nice guy or I have been in full time ministry. It's because my debt was paid of all those lousy sins that have weighed me down throughout my life. Just like in the Old Testament, I don't have to sacrifice a lamb in my backyard and drain the blood of that animal for my sins to be forgiven. Jesus was that sacrificial lamb who paid a huge price for us. My debt was paid! Your debt is paid, too! Give Jesus your life! I cannot live without him! He is truly number one in my life. He will make a difference in your life as well!
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS!
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