Gift of Forgiveness

 

Forgiveness is an action that is easier said than done!  Many times, we can say to others, “I forgive you,” walk away, and continue to hold onto the thing you just forgave.  I know this has certainly been the case for me, instances when someone has deeply hurt me and may have asked for forgiveness.  I will typically say something like, “no problem”, but will hold onto it for several days.  The other person has moved on, but I have not.  The longer I hold onto it, the more resentment sets in.

Forgiveness is an action.  There must be an active role on the person who is forgiving another to not only say, “I forgive you”, but to truly let it go.  When a person forgives another, absolute forgiveness, kindness is shared.  When someone has truly forgiven me, I feel closer to that person.  The relationship is deeper.  Yet, true forgiveness is not an easy action.  Letting go of hurt and anger is tough for us.  We want justice, we want the other person to suffer.  They may not “deserve” our forgiveness.  The reality is, when I have forgiven a person, true forgiveness, not only is it showing kindness, but MY burden is lifted. 

When I think of my relationship with Jesus and all I have sinned against him, I cannot imagine why he would want to forgive me.  I have hurt him, angered him, of this I am certain.  He has every right to want me to suffer and receive justice for my sins.  Yet, with his incredible gift of forgiveness, I can wake each day knowing that Jesus has said, “I forgive you, walk with your head high.”  Jesus’ incredible gift of forgiveness makes me fully understand how deeply he loves me and how close our relationship is.  He is doing all the forgiving; all I need to do is ask.

As we walk through this Lenten season, may we reflect on our sins and how Jesus pours his forgiveness upon each one of us.  His act of forgiveness provides us a closer relationship to him.  Let us be kind and tenderhearted to those that may have hurt us.  Provide forgiveness, true forgiveness, and let the relationships grow deeper.  I know that many of us have deep hurts that may find it hard to be forgiven.  Think of how much we have hurt Jesus with our actions and may the gift of forgiveness flow from you as it has from Jesus.

Dearest Jesus, may we provide forgiveness to those that have hurt us as you have provided forgiveness to us.  Help us to show kindness and compassion in the action of forgiveness and may relationships grow deeper.  Thank you for providing us with the perfect role model of forgiveness.  In your name we pray.  Amen!

 

Gift of Peace

 

As I mature (notice how I did not say get older!), I have come to realize there are many things that I seem to need in my daily life.  I need happiness and kindness, given and received.  I need a good laugh – the belly laugh kind.  I need a memory that makes me smile.  I need time to reflect.  Yet, what I seem to need most is peace.  I am not sure why peace seems to be so especially important to me. 

Maybe peace means so much to me because there were times in my life when I did not have peace – and those were hard times.  Times when cancer was in my body.  Times when my first marriage was falling apart.  Times when my dad’s health was slipping in front of us.  Those are life-changing hard times.  Yet, there were times in my daily life where peace seemed to be aloof.  Challenging days at work.  Difficult days with the children.  Days when nothing seemed to go right.  I am sure all of you have experienced those days as well – days of unsettling circumstances that rid you of hope and joy and fill you with anxiousness and worry.

In walks a gift of Jesus – peace.  For me, Jesus’ peace is one of His greatest gifts and one that I hold so deep in my heart.  I have learned (in my maturity), that relying on Jesus versus relying on myself can give me the peace I need.    It is not easy to let Jesus have reign in my life.   I am one of those “controlling” people.  I like to be in control of my path and my situations.  Yet, that is not Jesus’ plan for my life.  When I give the reigns to Jesus, I feel that peace I so much long for wash over my mind and my heart.  It is as if Jesus is saying, “There you go – I knew you would let me do the driving”! 

Those times in my life when peace has rushed over me have been powerful moments – transformational moments.  I may have lost my own control, but God had it all under control.  Now, daily, I look for that peace in the little things.  I could be sipping on a wonderful cup of coffee and I take a deep breath and thank Him for another day.  It is when I see a beautiful sunrise and realize only God’s hand can produce such beauty.  It is when I go to Jesus in prayer of a frustration, and I know He will guide me through it.  The gift of peace happens “…at all times and in every way.”  It is up to us to be washed over with Jesus’ peace and hold it close to us.  I ask us all to take the time and experience Jesus’ gift of peace.  It is with us; we just need to let ourselves experience it.

Dearest Jesus, your peace, the peace that passes all understanding, is a wonderful gift you have given to each of us.  Help us to take the time to come to you in prayer and ask you to help us feel and see this wonderful peace.  In tough times and every-day life, may we experience your peace when we give ourselves to you.  Amen.

Gift of Righteousness

 

Self-Righteous people!  Yes, you know those people – the ones that are always right.  Their way is the ‘right’ way, your way, not so much.  Righteous impedes into the moralistic side, how one should live their life, how they should act.  Self-righteous people tend to judge others for living their lives differently than they “ought” to live their lives – making those around them feel inferior.  Now that I have explained this a bit more, do you know anyone who may be self-righteous?  More importantly, do you fall into this arena?

Probably one of the greatest examples of self-righteous people comes from the Bible.  The Pharisees demonstrated self-righteousness at its finest.  They believed that they practiced strict observance of the law and ceremonies, yet they did so without any regard to the spiritual side of what they were doing.  They looked down upon those that did not observe as they did (such as Jesus when he healed the sick on the Sabaoth) and defined themselves better than others.  Not something to be proud of.

So how can righteousness be a gift from God?  As Christians, we use the word righteous to guide our path on how to morally live our lives.  As Christians, we know we will never be righteous.  We may try to live to the laws God gave us as.  We may try to do right things such as living servant-filled lives, loving others, giving to all, etc.  Yet, what we know is because we are sinners, we will never be righteous people.  No matter how many ‘good works’ we aim for, we will never be righteous in God’s eyes.

Jesus’ gift of righteousness comes from one thing and one thing only, our faith in Jesus Christ.  By believing in Jesus and his salvation, we become righteous in God’s eyes.  Only through faith is that gift given to us.  It is Jesus’ gift of righteousness that reigns over us.  This does not mean we should not try to live our lives by the path provided to us in the Bible.  What we need to possess is a sense of humbleness before God and others, knowing we are not righteous on our own accord, but we are righteous in the name of Jesus.  Praise be to God – the holy and righteous one!

Jesus, we thank you that you have given us the gift of righteousness.  We know that we will never be able to stand before you on our own on the Judgement Day.  Yet, with you beside us, we will be able to stand proudly, knowing that your gift of righteousness prevails. 

 

 

Gift of Mercy

 

Mercy, much like grace, is a word I must dive deep into.  In doing so, I continue to grow in understanding of the difference and similarities between grace and mercy.  Where grace is the wonderful gifts that are given to us when we do not deserve them, mercy is what is NOT given to us that we DO deserve.

Reflecting on that for some time made me think of all the instances throughout my life, all the horrible sins I have committed, that deserved God’s wrath.  Those sins, grave in nature, deserved Jesus to turn His back on me, reject me, and most of all stop loving me.  Instead, I have received Jesus’ mercy – his unconditional forgiveness for my sins.  The ONLY way this could occur was with Jesus taking the long road to Golgotha.

As Christians, we know that through simple faith we can receive the wonderful gifts of Jesus, including his mercy.  We know that there is absolutely nothing we can do to receive that mercy, that level of forgiveness.  It is only through our faith and His love that mercy can be found.  My life is made whole and full of rejoicing knowing that his mercy surrounds me every day.

Yet, what about us here on Earth.  What can we do to show our mercy?  There is much written on this subject (Spiritual and Corporal works of mercy).  As I delved into this, there were certain aspects that I believe Jesus taught us when it comes to having mercy, as He shared by living his life.

     ·    Bear wrongs patiently.  To truly live out these words not only means to “turn the other cheek” when you may have been wronged, but to be patient with those who have wronged you.  This is an area of growth for me. 

• Forgive those that have hurt you.  Forgiveness!  To be able to forgive one willingly can take a great deal of time – especially if the hurt is deep.  Yet, the only way for peace in our own lives is to forgive those who have outwardly sinned against us.

Individuals who have hurt us may not “deserve” our mercy, our patience and forgiveness.  Yet, my friend, we are certainly not deserving of Jesus’ mercy on us.  How many times a day do we disappoint Jesus?  How may times a day do we sin outright against His will for us?  We are far from deserving Jesus’ gift of mercy.  Yet, as He walked on this earth and died on the cross, mercy is what he showed us.  May we take His gracious gift of mercy and willingly give that gift to others.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for your gift of mercy.  I deserve your wrath and rejection, yet by simply having faith in you, I receive your mercy – your forgiveness and patience.  May I take the gifts you have richly given to me and give to others.  In your name I pray.  Amen!

Gift of Grace

 

The past few days, my husband and I spent some time away.  We moved past the walls of our home and explored Lake Placid NY and a tiny cottage we rented there.  Those few days were certainly a blessing as we unwound from the daily pressures of work and refocused on us.  It was as if we received a gift!  On the ride home, we reflected on those few days and the joy it brought us. 

As we enter this Lenten season, I asked myself what I could reflect upon that would bring value to this important time.  Immediately, my mind moved towards the gifts that Jesus brought while He was on Earth.  During the next 6 weeks of Lent, we will explore some of the many gifts Jesus gives to us.

This week, we will focus on grace.  Many times, I have looked up the difference between grace and mercy.  Preparing for this post was no different!  In doing so, I found wonderful definitions for grace.  One was, “grace is when we get something we don’t deserve”.  That certainly explains Jesus in my life and the bounty of grace that He has given to me.  Another definition was “undeserved favor”.  Both definitions helped me to realize that everything I have I have because of Jesus.  Love, joy, happiness, health, and even the material things, are all because Jesus has grace over me.

Where does grace come from?  As shared in 2 Timothy, grace comes from Jesus.  Therefore, grace begins by knowing Jesus and living in His light.  God will share richly, but we need to remember the expense by which that grace is bestowed upon us.  Jesus gave up everything for us.  If we believe in Jesus, we can live boldly knowing that He will give to us all that we need.  His grace is upon us!

When we realize how much God’s grace has been given to us, it makes us want to give grace to others.  It makes us want to work hard to be the best people Jesus knows we can be.  When God’s grace flows over us, our reaction should be to want to do more, to want to give more, to want to rejoice more.  Although the grace that is given to us is unconditional, it does not mean that we should rest on our laurels.  That grace should inspire us to be better and shine God’s light brighter.

As we enter this season of Lent, may the grace of God be the beacon that others see in us!

Dearest Jesus, your gifts abound as we reflect upon all you have given to us.  Grace is the bounty of goodness you have given to us although, as sinners, we certainly do not deserve.  May we always keep that in our hearts as we go about our days, doing your will.  In your giving name we pray, Amen.

Kindness in Love

 

Valentine’s Day.  There are so many mixed emotions on Valentine’s Day.  Some believe it is wonderful.  Others feel it is “commercialized”.  Many celebrate it, others are depressed by it.  Often, it is where one is on this journey called life that can dictate one’s response to this holiday.  When I was growing up, my father REVELED in this holiday.  It was a non-stop day of celebrating our family’s love.  Presents were perfectly selected.  Happiness was spread throughout the day.  Yet, it was the dinner that brought it all together.  My dad and brother would plan for weeks on the perfect dinner.  All three courses carefully laid out on a beautiful menu that adorned each place setting as we entered the dining experience.  We never went out for dinner – we always had dinner at home on that special day.  Between the two of them, a wonderful appetizer and dinner were prepared.  Dessert?  Typically, something fun – a huge chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a heart or our all-time favorite, a Twinkie with whipped cream and a cherry on top.  Fond memories.

As the years marched forward, there were Valentine’s Days where I found myself alone, without someone special in my life.  Those days I felt like God was never going to provide ‘the perfect one’ for me to share my life with.  God and I would chat much on those days, with me begging him to bring along the right person.  Those days were sad days for me – clinging onto the image of my perfect Valentine. 

Today, I have the love of my life.  If I had the opportunity to go back in time, I would tell my younger self that love does not always have to lie with the ‘right’ person.  The greatest gift we can give each other, and ourselves, is kindness – kindness in love.  When we spread the gift of kindness to those around us, it is truly God in us – magnified through a gift that can touch each person.  Devoting ourselves to each other in kindness, honoring one another with dignity and grace, provides the richness of God’s love to be seen by others.  God created us to love each other.  By sharing the gift, He so richly gave us, we are sharing God’s love with all. 

Not only can we share outwardly, but we can reflect inwardly.  Reflect upon the love Jesus gave to us – the ultimate gift of unconditional love.  Think about the blessings He has brought upon each of us, blessings filled with His love.  Sit back, close your eyes, and know that Jesus’ loving arms are wrapped around you – holding you close to him.  That, my friends, is true love.

Whether we have someone to call “valentine” or not, it should not stop us from making this day, and every day, about the kindness we can share with each other.  Find something – that one thing – that you can do today to let God’s gift of love shine upon another.  In doing so, you will take this day to a new level, a level that says, “God’s love reigns”!  I guarantee it will be a day filled of love for you too. 

Dearest Jesus, help us to show kindness to others.  May we spread the love you so generously give to us to all those who need to feel your loving arms around them.  In your loving name we pray, Amen!

Snow of Salvation

 

Snow.  There are different opinions on the white stuff.  Some absolutely love it because it means outdoor activities that they have been waiting for – skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snowshoeing, etc.  For others, it is a very visual reminder that it is cold outside – and it is “what we have to go through” – especially in New England, so that spring can arrive.  As with most things in life, some can see it as a blessing, while others see it as a curse.

Me?  I love it, particularly if it is a weekend and I do not have to head out to work right away.  As I right this post, the view in the picture above is what I see – snow falling.  It is absolutely beautiful and blanketing our ground and roads in a coating of white.  There is not a time when the snow falls that I remember two things:  my father and the verse above.

My dad loved the snow.  I remember heading out to the hill with our old sled, trudging to the top of it, only to sit on that sled and have an awesome ride down.  We always seemed to be the first ones there.  Daddy was never afraid of getting out and enjoying the snow. 

Our verse for today is so very appropriate.  As I was sitting in church this morning, receiving the absolution of sins, I reflected again on my past week.  The thoughts that I had that were sinful in nature.  The things that I said and did that were not in God’s image.  Then I thought back over my life and the multitude of sins that I have had – so very many that counting would be futile.  They are red marks against me – red marks that I could never release.

That is, never released until Jesus enters the picture.  Just as the beautiful snow falls from the sky and blankets the earth, Jesus takes my scarlet red sins and covers them with his snow of salvation.  By heading to the cross on my behalf, the sins that would drown me in despair are covered over by the purity of Jesus.  He died so I might live.  My scarlet sins are now white as snow.  I am Forgiven.

As snow falls, remember that the snow is covering your sins and erasing them from God’s memory.  The snow of salvation has been given to us by the one who deeply loves us, Jesus.  Like the song says, “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”!

 Dearest Jesus, thank you for bringing the snow of salvation to me.  Through your walk to the grace and resurrection of death, my sins are now white as snow.  The veil of death in hell has been lifted to a life with you in heaven.  Let it Snow!