Forgiveness?

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15

A friend of my brother’s was arrested the other day. For internet pornography. He was extorting a 16-17 year old girl. She sent him inappropriate pictures; her mom found out and told her to end it. When she did he told her he would post the photos online. That threat and previous accusations against him was enough to put him in prison with a possible 5-30 year sentence.

Several people that I’ve talked to since I found out told me that they had always felt uncomfortable around him. One person laughed, at what an idiot he was. Another person posted on the friend’s facebook page “I just heard about a guy named ________ that’s 25 that was arrested as a sex offender. Crazy, he has the same name as you” (or something along those lines, I’m quoting what I heard not read). Someone else commented on that “HAHAHAHAHA That’s crazy!” They didn’t think it was actually him. There is a lot of shock, and small town gossip going on.

His parents are devastated, and don’t believe that he did it, or at least have hope that he could get parole. Colleen’s parents are in support of his. And while I love his parents, they are amazing people, I cannot get past the thought of he deserves every bit of this for what he did.

Jesus said that we’re supposed to forgive others 70x7 times. How do you forgive someone like this? If it’s hard for us to forgive others, why do we expect God to easily forgive us? If we can’t forgive others, how can we forgive ourselves, and how can God forgive us. Forgiveness has always been such an issue with me. “Little” things like lying I may be able to forgive, but when someone really screws up, when I’m the one that’s hurt and devastated, I don’t let go so easily. Does my brother’s friend not also deserve forgiveness? Even though what he’s done is horrible. We forgive others, then God forgives us.

If we are forgiven then turn around and condemn others, how is that living in a way pleasing to God? I just read Matthew 18, and verses 21-35 state this concept very clearly.

Can we forgive others and still think that they deserve punishment?

Rhetorical Questions

When you’ve spent so long not talking about something, how do you start? Where do you even begin? How much do you say? Do you not say some parts because it’s been so long that you don’t exactly remember the details (perhaps because you’ve forced yourself to forget)? Do you leave some things out because it’s just too hard to say the words? Do you talk about it, and cause a family grief? Had it been talked about in the first place would the situation be what it is today?

God is AMAZING!

What a provider He is!

This semester I am doing an internship for my PR class with an organization called 9 to 5 for Christ. A non-profit for women of faith in the workplace. A dinner is provided and guest speakers come in and talk about their faith, their work, etc.

After dinner and before the speaker index cards a provided to write down prayer requests to swap at your table. My prayer request was about finances and finding a job. As the speakers were just about to begin the lady next to me, Diana, handed me a check for $100. My eyes welled up and it took a few minutes for me to calm myself down. After the evening was over I gave her a hug and thanked her, she prayed with me about finding a job.

Thank you Diana. Thank you Lord!