The Power of Forgiveness

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake; and remember your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25 NIV

This week on my so good to know blog, I shared a story about two old ladies, whose meeting was long overdue. Hugging and crying I heard them both saying, “it’s been too long, we have wasted so many years.” Standing there holding on to each other for what seemed like dear life, they tried taking a picture, but neither one of them could hold the phone up. I stepped in an offered to take the picture of them. For a few seconds with their heads together, they froze with smiles and tears in their eyes. In their seventies they said to me, “nothing should ever make you so angry that you hold on to it for 30 years like we did. We wasted so many years being angry at each other, about nothing. We made a vow to each other that for the rest of our lives we will spend it loving each other.”

 Though the two ladies lost 30 years together, it was by nothing short of a miracle and grace of God that they made things right in their friendship. I saw a love the was lost and now found. I saw forgiveness and hope for tomorrow. I thought to myself what a beautiful site. The miracle of their forgiveness toward each other, has set them free. No weights there between them just sisterly love.

The topic of power in forgiving isn’t just food for thought for you all but for me and everyone else in the world. I admit those ladies, made me think about things I wasted time on by not forgiving.  As I thought about my life, I didn’t want to hold things for 30 plus years. There isn’t any freedom in that. In the scripture for today I am reminded that God didn’t have to forgive me, but he did. The word says, He who blots out our transgressions, and remember our sins no more. We have a forgiving God, who shows us by example what living free is supposed to feel and look like.

The power of forgiveness is a part of Gods plan. It is a gift that he gives to us, and we should be willing to pass it on to others. When we forgive, we detach ourselves from that “puppet on a string” mentality.  We take back our lives and own our right to be free indeed. Consider this thought, “Forgiveness has never been for THEM, it’s for YOU!!” Amen.

Remember friends, we are each other’s keeper and the only time we should be looking down on someone is when we are helping them up.