Forgiveness Brings FREEDOM
Day 238 of Photo Inspirations – Forgiveness Brings FREEDOM
I’ve admitted it before….reality shows are my thing. I record them to later watch them when I’m running on my treadmill. I love watching real people, living real life with its ups and downs, seeing them overcome incredible obstacles and become winners…..or losers — in the case of “The Biggest Loser” show.
One of the shows I like is “Extreme Weight Loss” and last week’s show was so heart wrenching, yet inspiring when the woman’s life made a huge turn-around. It was about Jackie whose happy and healthy life was shattered when word came to her that the caregiver at the day care had shaken her toddler son causing long-term brain damage. Between feeling guilty that it was her fault for her boy to have been put in harm’s way and the emotional trial that put the caregiver behind bars, Jackie gained over 100 pounds. And Jackie had such bitterness and unforgiveness for the woman and for her own family’s lack of support during a time when she needed them the most.
Being chosen to be a part of Extreme Weight Loss, helped her to forgive the caregiver in order to shed her physical and emotional weight, as well as to forgive herself. It was beautiful to see the transformation that forgiveness gave her, along with the physical transformation. Forgiveness opened the door for a reuniting of her family, the ability to go to the woman who hurt her son and forgive her – which caused that woman to experience freedom of her mistakes, and thereby forgive herself.
How often do we hold things against others, because we were truly a victim. That hurts, and it’s NOT fair! However, the truth is — even if we weren’t at fault, our failure to forgive, imprisons us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we are approving of someone’s actions, or denying a wrongdoing. It doesn’t mean that we have to trust, or reconcile with that person. It DOES mean, that we are not going to hold bitterness in our heart, and allow that person or situation, to keep us locked up.
Each of us have been the one hurt. We’ve also been the one that hurt someone. With that failure, sometimes the guilt of our wrongdoing can put us in chains. When we forgive someone of their wrong, that frees them up to start over, and, hopefully learn from the mistake, and not go down that road again. Forgiveness is such a beautiful, freeing step to wholeness in our lives.
Ephesians 4:32 says “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
I’m thankful that God didn’t hold my failures against me.
Forgiveness brings freedom. It looks and feels so good to be free!