Forgiveness does not erase events of the past. Yet it does release us from the grip of hurt, humiliation, guilt and shame that often result from those events. Forgiveness is not an emotion. Forgiving and being forgiven do not depend on us feeling like forgiving someone or feeling forgiven by anyone.
We can decide to be “for” giving someone another chance. We can opt to be “for” giving a person a way to move beyond the events of the past. The God we worship is a God of second chances. God gives us as many chances as it takes for us to be reconciled with one another.
This message is an excerpt from “Great Thanksgiving” by Kathryn Haueisen in the November 2018 issue of Gather magazine. Today Thanksgiving Day is observed in the U.S. Please pray for families and our native ancestors.
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