Forgiveness

Mama Deane sent this to me about a year ago. I have it posted on my bulletin board in front of my desk. I may have posted this before. I need to read it every single day. It shows me big glimpses of just exactly what freedom means when walking with Christ. He is the only One who can free us from ourselves, our humanness, our sinfulness, our stubornness, our hard-heartedness. He wants us to be free and to love...and this is a start.


The most creative power given to the human spirit is the power to heal the wounds of a past it cannot change.

We do our forgiving alone inside our hearts and minds; what happens to the people we forgive depends on them.

The first person to benefit from forgiveness is the one who forgives.

Forgiveness happens in three stages: we rediscover the humanity of the person who wronged us; we surrender our right to get even; and we wish that person well.

Forgiveness is a journey; the deeper the wound, the longer the journey.

Forgiveness does not require us to reunite with the person who broke our trust.

We do not forgive because we are supposed to; we forgive when we are ready to be healed.

Waiting for someone to repent before we forgive is to surrender our future to the person who wronged us.

Forgiveness is not a way to avoid pain but to heal the pain.

Forgiveness is the only way to be fair to ourselves.

Forgivers are not doormats; to forgive a person is not a signal that we are willing to put up with what he does.

Forgiveness is essential; talking about it is optional.

When we forgive, we set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner we set free is us. When we forgive we walk in stride with the forgiving God.