Simplicity

SIMPLICITY

If your brother should offend thee,
Then go, 'twixt him and thee,
Tell him of the trouble'---;
I thought, "How could it be?

If I tell him how he's failed me,
It will only make him mad;
then we'll both be offended,
It will be just twice as bad!"

So I harbored up a grudge inside,
It festered and it grew
Till the single little thing he'd done
Multiplied to two!

But still I thought, "I'll just be strong,
His weakness can't hurt me."
Then I imagined I heard him laugh,
The offenses now were three.

With joy, he seemed to serve the Lord,
While I just seethed inside;
And, oh, the misery that I felt,
When he stood and testified!

Why should he be blessed so,
When I'm the one who's wronged?
Then I saw my foolish vanity,
Only my pride was strong!

Then at last, I went before him
And told him of my care,
"Forgive me" was his answer,
And then we knelt in prayer.

He hadn't even known, it seems,
That I was hurt at all.
(And really, once I mentioned it,
It seemed so awfully small!)

Jesus said, "Go tell him",
How wise this simple rule,
I thought that I could better it,
But showed myself a fool!

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