Forgiveness

I heard a Sermon on Sunday about forgiveness. The part that struck me was the pastor of Life Church Craig Groeschel his sister had been sexually abused by a man that tore apart their family. It devestated them all and it took years of counselling to try and make sense of it. I’ve heard him tell this story before. Craig talked about wanting to hurt this man who did this to his sister. It left him really angry and years later after it happened out it was either this destroyed their family or they would turn it around. They decided as a family to forgive this man for what he had done. This man never said he was sorry to any of his victims. Craig’s family wrote him a letter explaining why they were forgiving him and his nurse read it to him on his death bed. All they know is the nurse and the man were very moved by the note. Only God knows what happened next. Healing then begin in Craig’s family and even though forgiveness was really hard it was the key to freedom.

I could relate to this story in so many ways being hurt and abused so much as a child by so many different people. The hardest for me was what my dad and step mom did to me. I thought Parents protected their children not put them out to the wolves. There’s so much I just never understood but forgiveness was what changed my life. It’s not me forgiving them so they get a pass on what they have done. That now is between them and God. For me it was a decision I had to make because they held power in my life. I was caught in addiction and I hated them so much and every time something happened I would fall back into addiction. God showed me one day brushing my teeth that my heart was black.

Hate was killing me inch by inch. Through prayer with a friend I was able to forgive both my dad and stepmom for what they had done to me. Afterwards my life changed and I even prayed for them once in a while. That chain that weighed me down so much was cut off and this year I will have 5 years of sobriety. Addiction fell away and love filled my black heart. ♥️ They are right when they say that love Changes so many things. My life changed so much and now I live everyday in Freedom. It was the hardest decision to make but it turned out to be the best one. I live everyday in Freedom and redemption.