TRUE forgiveness

Yesterday I found myself in a situation that I never imagined could happen. This situation gave birth to a very hard reality; a reality that I really don’t know how to let go when I feel betrayed and angry. A place I haven’t really found myself in; in quite some time. Due to the circumstances, I can no longer blog about our journey. Yes, I know…it’s seems unfair. Trust me I have battled that demon the last 24 hours but this isn’t the purpose of my blog today. Today, I want to talk about TRUE forgiveness. A place of peace I so desperately need right now. A place where I can say; to the people who brought me here…..”I TRULY forgive you!”

 People are always saying “forgive for yourself” or “it sets you free” but nobody ever really says how to do that. How do you just forgive? How do you let the anger go? Or the deep seeded feeling of betrayal? And the biggest question….how do you let it all go when the person who hurt you was supposed to be your friend? I know I am not the only person who has ever found themselves in this place. You grow with your friends, you trust your friends. You invite them into your life to share special moments. It’s easy to say “just forgive for you!” or “let it go” when you aren’t carrying the heavy baggage of the given circumstances. 

People have told me that the hardest part is forgetting. I think this is because we don’t ever truly work through the pain we feel that others have caused. We just kind of get tired of being in that “place” so we just say “I forgive you” hoping it’s the magical cure. In that way, we don’t really find forgiveness. It’s just the Band-Aid hiding the pain. Like a physical wound, if you allow nature to take its course in due time it will heal. I think forgiveness is the scar that is left behind. The scar that shows you were hurt but you’re healed. And every wound takes time to heal; even emotional ones.

 The best place to find healing is in God’s word. The bible is a great reminder that we will face hard times. People will fail us, betray us and hurt us but He will help us, heal us and guide us. The key? The key is to know when it’s time to move on from each. Majority of the time our trials and triumphs are growing seasons; seasons where God is pruning us back and smoothing out our fine edges to make us into who He needs us to be for His plan. No evil He allows to trickle into your life is because He doesn’t love us; it’s because His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, His ways are higher than our ways. He sees the bigger picture and He can and will turn any evil work (we can’t escape it because He gave us free will and we live in a fallen world) into good and be there to help you heal from the pain it causes. God isn’t a magical genie; and I think that’s why so many people lose faith in Him in their hard times, look at Him as the perfect parent instead.

 He tells us that it’s okay to be hurt, or sad and angry at what has happened because there is a time for each of them. There is a time to be angry but there is a time to laugh. There is a time to cry but there is a time for joy! There is a time for each season of our life; physically and emotionally

 If you’re anything like me you know your heart knows these words but you just don’t know when the new season of joy and laugher will come again. This can be so discouraging but if I have learned anything from God it’s that His timing is quite perfect; in the good, in the bad and even in the ugly. So with that said I will embrace this season because I know I am allowed to be in this place of heartache; working to heal an emotional wound that needs His healing hands. It is only in His presence that I will find healing and be able to reach a place where I won’t see that scar and feel anger but instead; see a place of healing and freedom from another’s wrong doings…..TRUE FORGIVENESS!