Miracle of Forgiveness

It is crucial that we understand the power of forgiveness. When we forgive, we release ourselves from the pain and injustice in our past. But forgiveness does not happen quickly. It cannot happen quickly. It happens slowly, with a little understanding, and with some confusion. It has to sort out the anger, the pain, and the injustice. When forgiveness has finished its work, however, both the forgiver and the offender have been renewed, transformed, and set free from the pain of the past.

Lewis Smedes was an ethicist who wrote about the miracle of forgiveness. “When you forgive the person who hurt you deeply and unfairly, you perform a miracle that has no equal.” He goes on the say that forgiveness is not for the weak. It isn’t for the trivial offenses. It is reserved for the deep wrongs that cannot be forgotten, ignored, or tolerated.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean there will be no scars. We often carry the consequences of pain long after the hurting stops and the forgiveness is complete. The Christian singing group called Point of Grace sings a song called “Heal the Wound.” The words of the chorus deal with the theme of forgiveness and healing, which are often followed by scars that remain for a lifetime.

Heal the wound but leave the scar

A reminder of how merciful You are

I am broken, torn apart

Take the pieces of this heart

And heal the wound but leave the scar

One middle-aged couple recognized that they still carried some of the baggage from their past, so they decided to do something about it. They had both been in a previous marriage, and still felt some attachment and affection for their exes. In addition, they felt guilt and pain because of some of the decisions they had made early in life. They called their pastor and met with him, asking for his guidance. He suggested that they create a private ritual, during which they would identify the aspects of their past that they wanted to be free from. He also talked about how to forgive each other, and how to receive God’s forgiveness.


I am not saying this is the right thing to do. I do not endorse littering or polluting the environment, but am merely reporting what this particular couple did. You might need to be creative and come up with an action plan that’ll work for you.



6 Replies to “Miracle of Forgiveness”

  1. Thanks, Paul, for this piece. Forgiveness is one of my favorite topics to teach on. I’ve had some good practice at learning it.

    A non-polluting alternative to a list in a stream: build a fire and burn the paper, then make smores and enjoy the sweetness of forgiveness. They can visualize their sins being purged and the smoke of it reaching Heaven.

    Love you Cuz

    Liked by 1 person

  2. A wonderful reminder of the benefits and necessity of forgiveness!! I agree with the comment suggestion of burning your list in a symbolic way of destroying those things that keep us bound in unforgiveness…

    Liked by 1 person

  3. In my own second marriage, my wife and I both found that it took a long time for us to truly learn to trust another with our most intimate feelings and concerns. For me, it was trusting with finances. For her, the trust issues were much deeper; dealing with infidelity in her past. With time, lots of prayer, and a genuine commitment to one another, we learned that love overcomes many past mistakes. We can remember the scars of the past, but we must release the pain. God’s blessings sir.

    Liked by 1 person

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