Forgiving someone who has hurt us
is one of the hardest things
God requires us to do.
And yet,
He forgave me.
And He forgave you.
When I stop and think
about God’s mercy and grace –
forgiveness so undeserved,
but so lavishly given to me –
it helps me
extend it
to others.
Not always without struggle.
Not always without many tears and much anger.
Not always as soon as I should.
Not always as completely as I should.
Sometimes it is
me on bent knees
praying honestly
and begrudgingly –
“But Lord, they . . .”
to which I always
hear God’s gentle reply:
“I know, My Child.
Forgive them anyway.”
Our Father knows
just how very hard
forgiveness is.
He knows first hand
the cost of forgiveness.
He understands
the wrong done to us,
the pain inflicted,
the wound left behind.
And He wants to bring healing.
This is what forgiveness does.
It doesn’t excuse the wrong.
It doesn’t pretend nothing happened.
Forgiveness acknowledges the hurt
and then,
by the grace of God
(how could you without it?)
chooses to extend grace.
As forgiveness floods over us,
it washes away
bitterness and anger.
Maybe not all at once,
but definitely over time.
Sometimes
(just being honest)
you have to choose
to forgive
over and over again.
But given enough time
and given enough grace
even the deepest wounds
can be healed.
“But Lord, they . . .”
“I know, My Child.
Forgive them anyway.”
He did it for us.
With His Spirit
at work in us
and through us,
we can do it, too.~❤
~Stacy L. Sanchez