Broken Pieces: The Business of Forgiveness

​Forgiveness isn’t typically our favorite word when others need it from us. Yet, a critical aspect of healing from the wounds of the past is forgiveness. Depending on who or what needs to be forgiven, the prospect can seem impossible.
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There is much that can be said about forgiveness, but let’s focus on two important aspects of forgiveness. Forgiveness involves: (1) letting go of the expectation that those involved will ever acknowledge that they have hurt you, and (2) letting go of the expectation that one day they will make it right.
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This brings us to why forgiveness is so difficult. Forgiveness offends our sense of justice. It seems as though we are letting the offender off the hook. They’re getting away scot-free, and that just isn’t right. It isn’t fair.
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But, here’s the thing, as long as we wait for the offender to own our hurt and pain, we won’t own it. And if we don’t own it, we won’t heal. Which means forgiveness involves owning the injustice. It means incurring a price that shouldn’t have been yours.
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But thankfully (yes, thankfully) it CAN be yours. You can own it! The freedom you have to own the cost means you are not beholden to your offender. You do not have to put your life, your joy, your peace, or your healing on hold because of the offender. You can begin to pick up the broken pieces yourself. God meets you there in His power and does what you cannot fully do for yourself. As you hand the broken pieces to Him, He will make something beautiful and new.
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So how about it? How about deciding today to stop looking for your offender to own the fragments? Instead, reach out with your fragments to the only One who really can transform broken pieces into beautiful masterpieces.