I hate buying Father’s Day cards.
This year has been exceptionally difficult because my dad made a decision that broke my heart.
I laid in bed several nights tossing and turning, writing and rewriting in my head my response to his choice, and I kept asking God to help me with this issue. God wisely told me to wait.
He also told me to forgive.
The verse, “Jesus answered, I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven!” kept flashing in my brain. This was Jesus’s response to Peter when he asked how many times he had to forgive his brother who sinned against him.
Don’t you hate it when that happens? I love hearing answers from God, but sometimes the medicine is hard to swallow.
So, I wrestled with God.
What does forgiveness look like? What is our relationship supposed to be after I forgive him? Can I forgive and never talk to him again?
What. Does. That. Look. Like? And I wrestled some more.
I prayed. I read my Bible searching for God’s answer and I began reading an encouraging book on faith and prayer. (Which I will soon be telling you about and giving away.) And then God did what I could not do. He gave me the grace to forgive my dad and he mended my broken heart. Just. Like. That.
He gave me an honest but kind response to my dad and also to a few other people I was struggling to forgive. I didn’t burn any bridges. He gave me kindness.
He gave me an abundance of His Grace. Peace washed over me and joy returned.
He freed me from the chains of un-forgiveness because He is a good Father.
Un-forgiveness is a stronghold. It puts up walls that not only separate us from the person who hurt us, but keep us from receiving all the goodness of God and His answers to our prayers.
[tweetability]God knows that in our own strength we cannot forgive, but He is able to gift us with such grace. We just have to want it.[/tweetability]
He’s a good, good Father. This is one of my favorite new songs. Spend some time worshiping your heavenly Father who is never stingy or selfish or. . . human.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAnMjhq_Zow
Do you need to forgive anyone? Leave a comment. I’ll pray for you to experience God’s grace.
Thankful for my big “D” Dad,
Linking up with Juana Mikel’s! She’s posted a video of 11 checkpoints to refresh your marriage. Check it out!
[…] His grace grants us the ability to forgive. We can’t muster forgiveness in our own strength. I wrote about this in my last post. […]
Thank you for sharing. Every year comes a new challenge on this topic with renewed resolve to continue forgiving for me. It’s encouraging to know I’m not alone in this.
We are not alone! There are many of us unfortunately. Thankful for Jesus though! Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
I woke up day angry, deeply angry. Anger I had suppressed had seeped through my very being. I am still angry, teeth clenched angry. And your devotion and one other focused on forgiveness. The verse you cited for today was repeated elsewhere. Ambushed by God’s Words on forgiveness. I confessed I am not ready to forgive. I hadn’t even realized the depth of my anger. But I am bringing it to God. Sometimes it is all just so hard.
Dear Patricia, I’ll be praying for your release. Don’t be held hostage. You in yourself cannot forgive, but by his grace and the Holy Spirit you can.