Looking back, grief should have been obvious, but its face stayed hidden from me as I struggled to forgive my offender. I did not realize that the first step towards forgiveness was to grieve over what had happened. In fact, I didn't realize that I was grieving until I was months into the struggle. Why we often miss grief as the first step in forgiving others: Who willingly signs up … [Read more...] about How To Acknowledge Your Grief First To Forgive Your Offender
forgiveness
How Our Deepest Ministry to Others Comes From Our Darkest Moments
Have you ever wondered what on earth God is doing in your life when all seems dark around you? In our darkest moments, we can lose hope and despair of Jesus even being aware of what we are going through. We may think that He could not possibly allow anything good to come out of the chaos, confusion, and sorrow in which we find ourselves. We have a few phrases we throw around (sometimes … [Read more...] about How Our Deepest Ministry to Others Comes From Our Darkest Moments
The Dark Night of the Soul
Why does God allow seasons in life where all we seem to sense is darkness? Gone are the days of easily finding His presence and comfort. Have you been there, my friend? Are you there right now? My husband and I have just come out of nine months of unemployment. Our sham of security wrapped up in Rob's job was shattered when his boss called him into his office and told him he could … [Read more...] about The Dark Night of the Soul
The Power of Mercy
One of the greatest struggles I believe we wrestle through is one of the most difficult commands Jesus Christ gave us regarding those who have hurt us: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 That doesn't seem fair when they … [Read more...] about The Power of Mercy
What I Didn’t Realize About Forgiveness
Biblical forgiveness... What is it and what does it look like? I have rarely struggled with any concept more than this one. I believed that if I forgave someone, I was condoning their wrong actions against me. That I was saying what they did was ok. My heart rebelled at the lack of justice I felt that the person who had wronged me would get off "scott free." Yet, I was the one who was in the … [Read more...] about What I Didn’t Realize About Forgiveness
The Struggle of Wanting to Be Someone Else
Have you ever wished you were someone else? I have struggled tremendously this year with wishing I was someone else as a speaker. If I am funny, it is not because humor just rolls of my tongue. I have agonized over wishing the Lord had not called me to such serious subjects like jealousy or forgiveness. Those subjects can be hard for women to face. I have wished that I was anyone but … [Read more...] about The Struggle of Wanting to Be Someone Else
