Beth shared--Its the opposite of how you feel, when the pain they caused is just too real. It always goes to those that dont deserve- Forgiveness I have felt a tugging at my heart for several days to post my story on forgiveness. I kept telling God that I did not want to open up my feelings to everyone, but the gentle tugging did not go away. So, here we go; I hope this helps someone. I was in a boating accident when I was 14, and lost my left leg. I am now 35 years old, and I have struggled and persevered over the past 21 years. I have overcame many obstacles with Gods help, but I still struggled with forgiving the man responsible for me losing my leg. At times, the hate in my heart consumed me, and I was filled with hate and depression. I wanted him to be sorry, to check on me and see if I needed anything. For years I felt unworthy because I felt like he owed me something, an apology, sympathy, money, a simple phone call, something! I dont know, I just needed something from him, but I didnt get anything. Nothing, not a phone call or card, nothing. I should say my intention is not to bad mouth this man, if I had wanted to do that, I would have long ago. My intention is to help someone have the strength to forgive someone that has hurt them deeply. So, over the years, I have struggled to forgive him. I saw things everywhere that reminded me of him. God was working on me then, although I did not know it. I needed to see those reminders so I could bring the hurt and pain to the surface instead of keeping it deep within me. I knew that God wanted me to forgive him, to let go of the hurt and resentment, but how could I do that? In my mind, the man did not deserve forgiveness, nor had he even asked for my forgiveness. But God, knowing all things, tells us to forgive each other just as he forgives us. Because they are worthy of forgiveness? No. Because they ask? No. You dont need to have an apology to forgive someone. You dont even need them to be sorry. The forgiveness is for YOU. It frees You from hate, frees You from resentment, frees You from bitterness. God taught me over the years that forgiveness is a choice. Love or Hate. Once I decided to forgive him, it was a choice I had to make daily. Even though my mind was saying he doesnt deserve it, God was telling my heart forgive him again today. So everyday I chose to forgive him. Every time he entered my mind, I forgave him. In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how often should he forgive his neighbor that sins against him. 7 times? Jesus told him to forgive him 70 times 7! So 7 days a week, however many times a day I needed to, I forgave him. Over and over. When he popped in my head, I forgave him. I may not have felt like it at the moment, but it was a choice I made. Today, I still choose to forgive. The forgiveness comes much easier now. Its not a daily struggle to forgive him anymore. It took me 21 years to get to that point. If you need to forgive someone, Dont wait that long, it only hurts you, not them. Choose to Forgive and make that choice everyday, how ever many times you need to, even if you dont feel like it. It is for You, it frees YOU. Im sorry this is so long, and for those who had read it, I hope it helps you forgive someone that you have been struggling with. And for those that need forgiveness, it is never too late to give an apology. We are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 20:15:39 +0000
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