Forgiveness

I was listening to my radio in the car as I always do on the way home from and they was talking about forgiveness. Several callers called in telling their stories of mostly childhood abuse and how they had forgiven that person .

This reminded me of a story of someone I know , we will call her Sarah and her daughter we will call Rachelle.

Sarah was abused by her father as a child and as a young adult distance her self from him but cause she had not forgiven her father but as she grew older after time she was able to forgive her father and as more time went on she was rebuilding a relationship back up with both of her parents but as this was taking place her daughter Rachelle was abused by an uncle in the family which brought up a flood of memories for Sarah.

As this started to take place Sarah 's family was taking the uncles side and saying Rachelle was breaking up the family when all she was, was the one that got abused and did not keep it quite, so this lead to Sarah having to make a hard choice  which was to cut off all her family to protect her daughter.

Rachelle being an amazing girl had forgiven the uncle weeks after things happend but was still deeply scared by all that had happend . For Sarah though it took a little longer cause of all the hurt and so to speak re opened wounds . But in the end cause of Gods grace there has been healing and forgiveness.

I know from my owen life happenings that forgiveness is a freeing experiance that can only come form God cause in are human flesh having such deep hurt it is not in our nature to be forgiving , but only   the Holy Spirit working through us is that forgivness  able to happen.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Colossians 3:13



Forgiveness What does this look like which is a very good question ? Does it mean we forget what happend ? No by all means it does not ,now we most likely wont think about it all the time but the times we do there is no anger or bitterness in our hearts cause of it.

Also in some cases such as Sarah and  Rachelle in the story forgiveness does not mean putting yourself back in an unhealthy place but it means you have let go of all of the bitterness and anger towards that person.



 Psalm 130:4
But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

My prayer is that we through Christ can forgive and to ask Him to help us to do so cause in our own strenght we can do nothing  but through Christ we can do all things !!