OUT OF THE BLUE

I get epiphanies about a topic to post on  at the strangest times.  You already know about my middle of the night musing.  Today's post came to me in a flash from out of nowhere, while out walking the Wonder Dog early one morning.  We were across the street looking for rabbit trails, completely alone  and a bolt out of the blue hit me.  NOW, if you believe things pop in our minds out of the blue, we need to talk!

Here's the thing about grace ~ until you reach down and forgive someone who you really do not want to forgive, who really does not deserve to be forgiven, who really sinned against you, who does not really care if you forgive them or not  ~ Who really does not even give you a second thought  ~  You do not really understand about grace.  Let that sink in.  

I will never forget the report about the ten children shot, five of whom died in the Amish one room school house in 2006.  The world was puzzled and taken back when the Amish community extended grace to the family of the shooter.  HOW could you forgive this man?  How could you extend sympathy to his family?  How astonishing was it for this community who were in deep grief themselves, to somehow find the ability to not only forgive the shooter, but extend help to his family?  Read this story HERE for an account years later.  Take particular note of "Decisional Forgiveness" and doing the emotional work after making the conscious decision.  

Until we are able to take the step of obedience and forgive those who have sinned against us, we do not really understand what God has done for us through Jesus.  We just cannot really GET IT until we have stepped up and forgiven those who do not deserve our forgiveness.  It can be a tough pill to swallow, to say the least.  The Amish lived out how we should first decide we will forgive and then allow God to lead us through the process.

Here is one of the truths I have garnered from the subject of forgiveness.  I was the one who really was set free by extending grace--not necessarily the one who sinned against me.  It was a huge boulder removed from my shoulders that I did not even realize how it had weighed me down.  That is all I have to say on the subject---that is enough.  Roll that around in your thoughts today and let me know what you think.

"Forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember the Lord forgave you,

so you must forgive others."

Colossians 3:13

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