forgiveness

Today, I am thankful for forgiveness--for the forgiveness that I have been given, the act of forgiveness that I witness from others, and the ability that I have been given to forgive. Forgiveness is truly an amazing thing. It is also an extremely difficult thing to practice at times. I am so thankful that Christ forgives me on a daily basis. I know we all have heard the saying "i'll forgive you, but i'm not ever going to forget it." Oh how incorrect is that statement! True forgiveness is forgetting. God says he takes our sins, he forgives, and he casts them as far as the east is from the west. If we are truly going to forgive someone, then we can't hold onto their wrongdoing. 

Let me just tell you, I have witnessed first-hand the picture of forgiveness. My dad committed adultery against my mom when I was little. Trust was broken, as well as my family. It took several years for my family to be restored. My parents remarried and the Lord really worked in an through their lives. Although I was too young to understand anything going on at the time, I see now the power in forgiveness. My mom exemplified forgiveness in the best way that I have ever seen. She not only took my dad back and forgave him, but she trusted him. I asked her one day recently how she was able to forgive and trust completely and how long it took her to get to that point. Her response was "God" and "immediately." She couldn't really explain it, other than she saw his heart. What a picture-perfect example of forgiveness. Isn't that what God does for us? 

I'm thankful for that power in forgiveness. Forgiveness is what brought my family to restoration--God's forgiveness and the forgiveness that my mom showed to my dad.  If we could all forgive as God forgives us! When I think about all that Christ has forgiven me of, I have no right to not forgive others. Thank you God for your forgiveness and for showing us how to forgive!