The Freedom of Forgiveness

Do you have trouble forgiving someone?
Some years ago I had just that problem. I had been
hurt and felt a resentment building up inside me that
I really didn't like and couldn't handle by myself. I had
just become a Christian and I knew that it was wrong
to feel the way I was feeling, towards anyone. 

Try as I may whenever I had to see this person I almost
felt sick inside.  I wanted them to know how much
they had hurt me and I almost wanted them to feel
the pain of it too.  I was suffering more than they were
 with all this resentment and unforgiveness inside me.
If anything the person in question was enjoying seeing
me this way, that made it even worse.

How did I handle it?  Well I have to admit I couldn't
handle it on my own.  I had to ask God to help me.
I told Him that I was willing to forgive the person
but that I needed some help from Him.
Around that time I was given a wall hanging scroll of
the Prayer of St.Francis of Assisi. 

I hadn't taken a lot of notice of it before, but suddenly it 
seemed to take on a new meaning to me.  Each evening 
when I had my 'quiet time' with the Lord, I would pray 
the prayer out loud and it wasn't very long before
I started to feel more at peace within myself. 
I also found that the person in question didn't seem
to bother me as much. 

What really made me know that God had helped
me to forgive this person was the fact that,
one day when we were in the same room he turned
to me and said. "I don't know what it is, but you are different." 
I said "What do you mean?"  He answered, "I used to be able
to 'rattle' you but I can't anymore."  That was true, 
he couldn't 'rattle' me any more.

Hallelujah! Thank you Lord Jesus!
 

What a wonderful God we serve.  All God needed
was my willingness to forgive, and He did the rest.
He took away the resentment that was eating away
at me and I can honestly say it has never returned.

I write this in the hope that someone out there will
benefit from it as I have.  You know, when you can't
forgive someone, you can't feel the peace of the Lord.
It is always the person bearing the resentment that
feels the pain of it, far worse than the one who
actually caused the pain. 

Don't hang on to it any longer ask God to help you 
and give the following prayer a try.   I really believe
that you too will feel the peace that 
comes from Forgiveness.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord make me an instrument of Your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love;.
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light:
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly
Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men
their sins, your Father will not forgive you."
Matthew 6:14.  N.I.V.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances
you may have against one another. Forgive as the 
Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13 N.I.V.

He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which
he must pass, for every man has need to be forgiven.
From "Apples of Gold"

Forgiveness is like setting the prisoner free
and then realising that you were the prisoner.

If you have been blessed in any way by this, I
would love to hear from you.
God bless you and help you.