FORGIVENESS

It’s mid-week, and so far … it’s been a good week 😊

I’ve spent the last four days this week with friends.

Driving Delameter Road to Castle Rock this morning.

Goal - 10 lb. weights in each hand this time next week ...

Yesterday, I had brunch with a friend from Naselle – we talked for four hours 😉

And, I am noticing that the topic among all my friends is pretty much the same topic. Some are Christian friends; some are not. Some are married, some are not. Some are widowed, some are not. Some are new friends, some are not … but the topic rarely deviates.

I don’t mind.

We are friends: we lend friendly ears.

Sometimes insight is shared.

And sometimes, silence is golden.

The topic may be the same among all – but the way it is dealt with is not always the same among all.

Yesterday, insight was solicited.

The topic was forgiveness.

This I know something about 😉

I believe that forgiveness can only come from a heart that is willing to step aside, and let Elohei work in all the lives involved.

And I can only speak from my personal experience about the freedom forgiveness gives.

Sometimes forgiveness is hard to give when a hurt has purposefully been done with malicious intent – but it is necessary for personal peace.

Sometimes forgiveness is not accepted or returned; forgive anyway – for your own well-being.

Forgiveness is not an optional thing when one is claiming to be a Christian – it’s a requirement, and an obligation. Yeshua made forgiveness a fixed feature of a Christian life.

I felt, when we hugged and parted ways, that we had both benefitted from that four-hour coffee/chit chat 😊

I know that plans were made to get together more frequently.

If we could forgive ourselves, we wouldn't need Yeshua - forgiveness only comes through Him.

The most intense memory Lucifer will weld is memories about our parenting. I don't allow that.

My Past is behind me - and I don't allow anyone to judge me for it. It's over - I've moved on.

I parented for my children's safety - I won't apologize for that. Any fault in that parenting has been forgiven, if it needed to be.

My job was to parent ... I would not be disrespected by either child. That upset them.

As a parent, we do all we can to keep our children safe - but sometimes, the child is rebellious and chooses to live life in harm's way.

Grown children have got to accept responsibility for their own lives. And parents have got to forgive their irresponsible children.

The world's ways are not a Christian's way ... and as Christians, we will be persecuted - we have to forgive 70 x 7. Constantly.

Lucifer will use every memory in our mind to hamstring us ... IF we allow it.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir-XbtrgcRk)

As Believers, we have been forgiven. Forever. The Past has no power over us.

Be careful when sharing past memories, that you are not snared by Lucifer's wiles; he lies in wait for easy prey to prey on.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovxCROUvfn4)