12 reasons

There is a recurring theme in my life that will probably be here until the day I die. It is forgiveness. It is not a suggestion. It is a command from the Lord. 

Sometimes, I grumble at the thought of forgiving some of the jokers that have made my life difficult in one way or another. There have been more than a few times in my life when I whined the “I didn’t do anything to deserve that” song. There is no need to go into all that because we have all heard it a thousand times, however, I would like to share some things I have learned along the way. If you can read this with a tone of voice, please make it an understanding one and not a condemning one.

1. Refusing to forgive keeps me in bondage to the offense, making me a prisoner of the pain.
2. Sometimes it is wisest to forgive without ever seeing the person again. Never put ourselves in physical danger. Use wisdom.
3. Sometimes we can forgive without speaking to the person again. Manipulators who are forgiven will still manipulate.
4. Forgiving someone does not mean I am responsible to help them see the error of their ways.
5. Keeping numbers 2 and 3 in mind,; it is possible to forgive someone who has passed away.
6. Some people do not deserve to be forgiven by any rational standard. Forgive them anyway.
7. Resentment in the Latin means to feel again. When I allow a resentment to remain, I am feeling the hurt all over again each time I think of it. And I think of it a lot. It is mental torture.
8. Just because we haven’t completely forgotten the pain does not mean that we have not truly forgiven.
9. Forgiving is not a feeling, it is a decision.
10.  Unforgiving requires a hardened heart and hard hearts don’t hear God so well.
11.  Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation for Thine is the kingdom and the glory and power forever.
12.  Sometimes I can be the one who is big enough to forgive; sometimes I need someone to be big enough to forgive me.

I am forgiven. I am forgiving. I am moving forward.

(this is a re-post from another blog I used to have. I needed to be reminded of it. If you have read this one before, please forgive me for the redundancy. this is not a suggestion.)

 

Heal the wound

There is a song that I am learning. It is called, Heal the wound. Props to Nicole Nordeman & Clint Lagerberg for this thought provoking song. Point of Grace recorded it but my BFF, Nancy, heard it sung a her church and brought it to my attention. She knows me better than anyone (besides Ed, of course) and she told me that I HAVE to sing this. She was right. I HAVE to sing this.

The lyrics say, Heal the wound but leave the scar. A reminder of how merciful you are.

After reading Johnny’s comment on the post below,  I am reminded of another verse which says;

I have not lived a life that boasts of anything. And I don’t take pride in what I bring. But I’ll build an altar with the rubble that You found me in. And every stone will sing of what You can redeem.

That is pretty much my life. Every now and then, I come across a song that speaks so clearly to my heart that it makes me wonder what the song writer has been through that could prompt these lyrics. This song affirms that strength can come out of pain. Beauty and truth can come out of turmoil and destruction. I want to enjoy the benefits but I never want to forget that I reached the good stuff by being carried through the sludge of life. God has a plan and a purpose for every life. Even this one.

I never could have imagined the kind of life I am living right now.

I plan to sing this song at A Call to Freedom, a seminar being held at the Rock on April 18 & 19. I will have the privelege of singing at all three parts of the seminar along with several other talented and anointed singers and musicians. God speaks through this song. If you can come to this event, you will be touched by His grace.