Thankful Thursday ~ Forgiveness

Forgiveness is an amazing thing!  We can't earn it.  We don't deserve it.  We can choose to accept it or deny it. We can offer it to others, but we can't make people forgive us.

But, truth is, while we want the forgiveness of others;  Jesus is the only one who can truly forgive us. 

We've done things in our past that have hurt people; things that we can't make someone forgive us.  We also can't dictate how someone  reacts to what we have done to them.  The saying "You can forgive but you can never forget" is so true."  And  remembering isn't always a bad thing; in fact, it's only in remembering the past  that we can define our future.

However, as Christian, I know forgiveness doesn't come from others but from God.  While He may not always like what we do to other; 1 John 1:9 (NIV) tells us "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  Whatever happens with the other person, we have to know that we are right with God.   Because when we know we are right with and have peace with God; we allow whatever we've done to be released and used for His glory.

   As I was writing this I thought about one of the most difficult times in my life.  It took me years to forgive this situation.    One of these individuals is in Haven ~whom I love dearly and miss everyday.  But there are still days when I think back to this time in my life and all that anger and grief rise up in my heart.  I have forgiven this act, but there are still replications to what happened that has not only effected my entire family, but has added too and improved our family.