FORGIVENESS IS WHERE HEALING BEGINS .
OFFERING GENUINE FORGIVENESS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS THAT JESUS CALLS US TO DO BECAUSE IT DOES NOT COME WRAPPED IN COMFORT .
IT DOES NOT ARRIVE NEATLY AR SOFTLY OR EVEN IN WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE TO OUR HUMAN HEARTS .
FORGIVENESS USUALLY STARTS IN THE PLACES THAT WE WOULD RATHER NOT VISIT
THE PLACES WHERE WE WERE HURT, ABANDONED, BETRAYED, MISUNDERSTOOD OR BROKEN.
AND YET HE STILL CALLS US TO FORGIVE OTHERS BECAUSE HE HAS FORGIVEN US
SOME OF THE DEEPEST INJURIES ARE INVISIBLE
BURIED UNDER YEARS AND YEARS OF TRYING TO SURVIVE AND TRYING TO BE STRONG
PEOPLE CAN LOOK WHOLE QUIETLY CARRYING FRACTURES NOBODY ELSE CAN SEE
SOMETIMES THE ONES THAT HURT US THE MOST ARE UNAWARE OF THE DAMAGE THEY CAUSED.
WE OFTEN THINK THAT THAT FORGIVING SOMEONE MEANS SAYING THAT THEIR ACTIONS WERE OKAY. IT DOESN'T.
IT MEANS REFUSING TO LET THEIR ACTIONS DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF OUR SPIRIT
JESUS DID NOT CALL US TO MINIMIZE WHAT WAS DONE TO US
HE CALLED US TO RELEASE IT SO IT DOES NOT BECOME THE WEIGHT THAT DRAGS US DOWN TO BITTERNESS .
BITTERNESS IS POISON IT DOES NOT SIT IN ONE CORNER OF YOUR HEART IT SPREADS
IT TOUCHES EVERYTHING .
YOUR TRUST, YOUR HOPE, YOUR PEACE, AND YOUR ABILITY TO LOVE
BITTERNESS WILL HARDEN YOU WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION
JESUS KNOWS THAT
THAT JS IS WHY FORGIVENESS IS NOT FOR THE ONE WHO HURT US IT IS FOR OUR OWN HEALING
FORGIVING LIKE JESUS MEANS ACKNOWLEDGING THE WOUND WITHOUT LETTING IT SHAPE WHO YOU BECOME .
FORGIVING LIKE JESUS DOES NOT ERASE WHAT HAPPENED.
IT TRANSFORMS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT .
IT REMINDS YOU THAT MERCY IS NOT FOOLISHNESS IT IS COURAGE
THAT REFUSES TO BE SHAPED BY SOMEONE' ELSE'S SIN
WHEN YOU FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO TRULY HURT YOU...
YOU DON'T JUST RELEASE THE PERSON WHO HURT YOU.. YOU RELEASE YOURSELF.
FROM ANGER.
FROM RESENTMENT.
FORGIVENESS WILL NOT CHANGE YOUR PAST BUT IT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR FUTURE
FROM THE HEAVINESS YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO CARRY .
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHY JESUS CALLS US TO OFFER IT.
