“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13
I just have to share the most impactful part of my week. It’s going to be short and quick.
I am working on a writing project. I wrote a chapter on forgiveness the other day. In my research I used this story.
Cory Ten Boom, a prisoner in the concentration camps during World War II, was confronted with the guard that held her and her sister hostage. He had come to know Jesus in the years since. He had listened to her speak on God at a local church. Afterwards he came up to her and asked her to forgive him for how he treated her while she was imprisoned. He knew Christ had forgiven him, he wanted her forgiveness as well.
She had just spoken on behalf of God. She knew she was compelled to forgive. However she had no desire to forgive. So she asked God for help in this simple prayer:
“Jesus, help me! I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.”
She describes lifting her hand woodenly, but then a current started in her shoulder and raced down her arm to their entwined hands. She said then a healing warmth flooded her entire body and true forgiveness entered her. She went on to say, after experiencing such a tremendous forgiveness, she never had trouble forgiving again.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this since I wrote it. I love this prayer. I now know, sometimes all I have to do is lift my hand. God will take care of the rest if I ask Him too.
I struggle with forgiveness. I don’t like letting people off the hook. I really rather like them to squirm. But that is not what God does. That is not what God has done for me. He has forgiven me completely. The least I can do is forgive others.
I’m not God, not by a long shot. I am willing though, to lift my hand, trusting He will do the rest. It will take some work though. I pray He gives me the time to do it!
Just lift your hand!
