Toggles Connection Newsletter
Trophies of His Grace
Meditations on Forgiveness
—by Alaine
(From the Toggles Connection Newsletter)
Why did she say that to me yesterday? What was her point? To discourage me? To overwhelm me? To hurt me? I don’t think so, but she sure did a good job of all!
I choose to take the “high road” and not retaliate in kind. I guess I wish You would remind her of how toxic—how cutting her words were yesterday. I’m afraid she will just go on and forget it all and not think that anything needs to be apologized for. I know I need to find peace in my heart before I could approach her about it and share how I feel, but how? I want to make her sorry.
Lord, I have a much easier time forgiving people when they are sorry. Did You look down from the cross to see if there was someone, anyone, who was sorry for causing You all that suffering? I bet there wasn’t anyone.
Lord, I need to learn a lot about forgiveness. People who say, “You should just be willing to forgive,” don’t understand. I want to forgive—at least somewhere inside I do.
Maybe forgiveness is like grace.
Maybe forgiveness is like faith.
Maybe forgiveness is something You give me, not something I try to work up inside myself.
Maybe it, like faith, comes from You, not from me. If that is so, I take on Your forgiveness. I choose to exchange the unforgiveness I feel inside for the forgiveness You hold out to me.
I need You so much Lord. I’m so glad You are there.
