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Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

 

 

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.forgiveness

A friend of my husband and I wrote a poem that really touched me. He wrote a poem about his x-wife that he divorced many years ago. He said it took time to get to this wonderful place of forgiveness. I myself had to learn this lesson of forgiveness for my x-husband. Dave’s poem just really puts it all into perspective for me.

Still …after all the lessons and trials God has allowed me to go through to teach me about forgiving others…I still struggle with instant forgiveness. I have to keep my eyes on Jesus and lean hard on the Holy Spirit to assist me until I can experience the freedom for my soul and mind for the situation I found myself in. I think I’m not real good at this because I keep getting lots of these type of lessons LOL! forgiveness 2

How many times do we need to forgive others? Matthew 18: 21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. That’s a whole lot of forgiving. Well let me get a head start for my next test! LOL!

 

The Wife of My Youth

I lift up the wife of my youth
the mother and nurturer of the
Children she’s borne
she is singularly precious to me
Even though from each other
our hearts have been torn

For all we have shared in the past
the memory of which will always last
I bless her in Jesus’ Name
for His grace and His mercy
have embraced all the pain

The separate lives we now live
Devoid of the chaos that strife used to give
are His to lead and to guide
For in His loving-kindness we
chose to abide

In His presence, His joy is my proof
and I lift up the wife
of my youth                              

David C. Ridgeway

 

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