Forgiveness, Aug. 6

We asked you, “What have been the hardest things to forgive?” on our Facebook page and your answers were both painful and beautiful. One person struggles to forgive herself for her daughter’s illness and death. Another struggles to forgive a lie that shattered her life. Yet another says that forgiveness is a process and must be re-engaged with each reminder of the original hurt.

Everyone wrestles with the difficulty of forgiveness when pain cuts you deeply. And yet, the inability to forgive will always create a barrier in our relationship with God. Likely, it will create a barrier in our relationships with others too. So, what are we to do?

For the next four weeks, Pastor Heather and I will be leading you through this dilemma in our new sermon series, Invitation to Forgive. The invitation comes from God but we are the only ones who can decide if we will accept it or not.

I was thinking about an invitation I received recently -- one I would’ve never expected. When I received this invitation, I knew the vulnerability and transparency it represented. I knew that it was an effort to deepen the relationship. And, I knew that it would require the same vulnerability and transparency on my part in order to fully receive it. I feel honored that I could accept the invitation, but I had to overcome my own feelings of unworthiness in order to do so.

I think God is extending invitations like this all the time -- invitations that will change us for the better if we accept them. This invitation to forgive falls in this category. So, as we prepare for worship together on Sunday, I’m asking you to come with an open heart. Come expecting to be changed by God’s perfecting grace as we consider how we can say, “Yes!”