Letting Go And Letting God

Letting Go And Letting God

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. Luke 6:37-38

“After that kid got my daughter pregnant, he ran off with another woman. He left Maria with no child support. I just want to wring his neck. Or worse!”

Ralph was understandably upset, and I knew the family was facing a lot of pressure because of the recent circumstances.

“Where’s Maria now?”

“She and the baby moved in with us. We were looking forward to retirement, and now we’re raising our granddaughter. The baby is up all night crying, so Maria’s up all night crying. Then my wife gets up to help, and she’s crying too. That’s why I’d like to make that boy cry! I need you to give me something to help me sleep.”

“Look, Ralph, I know how you feel. But the best way to move forward is not to be so preoccupied with this boy. You need to forgive him—even if you don’t feel like it. Otherwise, the hatred you feel will keep smoldering in your heart and will flare up when you least expect it. That’s not healthy. So, I have a prescription for you, but it’s not what you think. Your prescription is to pray that God will help you forgive this young man who hurt your daughter.”

Ralph didn’t like what I had to say, but he agreed that my advice was better medicine than a sleeping pill.

When Ralph brought Maria and the baby in for a newborn checkup, I watched as he oohed and aahed over his granddaughter. When Maria stepped out for a moment, Ralph said, “I started out hating that boy, and I still don’t like what he did. But I told him I forgave him, and he started to cry. Now at least I can talk to him and give him room to grow.”

“Good for you, Ralph!” I said.

“Nope, good for God. He’s the one working on me. And now the boy is trying to reconcile with Maria.”

TODAY’S RX

Forgive your grudges, and allow the love of God to fill the void.

Jesus, thank you for modeling forgiveness for me. You bore no grudges when you were nailed to the cross, but gladly carried my sin so that my life could be restored. Help me to remember that always and to be quick to forgive.