Iced Over

 

Negative 12!  That is what registered on the thermometer yesterday morning.   Add in the wind chill factor and it felt like negative 20!  To say it was cold would be an understatement.  Yet, one of the true benefits of this kind of weather is the river.  The river that runs behind our home begins to freeze.  Ice forms and you can watch, and hear, as the ice-covered river continues to move.  I could watch it for hours.  What used to be a free-flowing river seems to come to a crawl.

As I watched the ice move past me, I thought about the ‘coldness’ in my life.  There has been a time in my life when someone hurt me, sinned against me, and I felt myself move from someone who was carefree like the river in summer to becoming cold and hardened, like the river in winter.  As each day passed, resentment grew and the ice-covered ‘me’ became hardened.  It was hard to imagine my life prior to this resentment for this person, and I found the ‘coldness’ of my life permeating every part of me.  It was almost as if I had a hard time moving forward, much like our ice-covered river.

God brought this verse to me – helping me to see that forgiveness could break the hardness and have me flowing like the river in summer again.  Friends, it was not easy.  I had many conversations with God along the way.  Why should I forgive this person after all the hurt and destruction?  I kept coming back to the last part of this verse, “As God in Christ forgave you”.  It’s hard to argue with the true God Almighty!

Forgiving does not mean accepting.  Forgiving does not mean, “Please, use me as a doormat”.  Forgiving means letting go of the hurt that you have and praying for the person.  You read correctly – pray for the person!  Yes, ensure you continue the prayers for you to forgive, but also pray for them, that they may turn away from a path of hurting others. 

·         Forgiveness is powerful!  As one forgives, the ‘ice’ that has covered begins to thaw, and the real person begins to flow. 

·         Forgiveness is healing!  The heart moves from resentment to openness and healing.

·         Forgiveness is God!  God sent His only Son to die on the cross so our sins will be forgiven

Take the step of forgiveness.  Don’t let resentment cover you like ice.  Let forgiveness flow like the river and bring your heart peace.  Simply have faith that God sees all and will bring you the peace you deserve.

Heavenly Father, bring me a forgiving heart.  Let forgiveness flow from my ice-covered heart and help me to be kind to all, even those who hurt me.  In your forgiving name I pray, Amen.