Over six years ago I watched one of my kids life change forever. Someone she loved. Someone she trusted hurt her deeply. Hurt me deeply. This person was a person in authority and she had gotten it wrong. It would have been so easy to drag this person under the bus. After all she had hurt my kid! Unfortunately, and I admit it, if you go after someone in my family my Mama Bear claws come flying.
In this instance I just knew the Lord had called me to be still. For once in my life I actually was. And it was hard. Every time my daughter started to bad mouth the individual(s) who had wronged her I stopped her. I just kept repeating Luke 6:31. My child literally shut down. There was a change in her entire spirit. In her nature. She felt I had betrayed her as well. She felt as though I was not standing up for her. For whatever reason I had a peace in my soul. Even amidst the heartbreak of a broken relationship I knew in my inner most being to "be still and know I am God".
The years went by and I never ran into this individual. Ever. Which is strange because our rural town has about 21,000 people including the county. Other parents had contacted me through the years when, they too, had some heartbreak with this person we all adored. I just had this peace. I tried to listen and to comfort but I just knew I needed to be quiet. This is highly unusual for me! Yep, if you know me you are going "Lord, yes".
One evening years later my child, now a teenager off at school, sent me a text about another run in with this person. She immediately texted "karma". I texted back "I don't believe in Karma and you are to continue to treat others as you wish to be treated". "Yes, ma'am". I believe that was the last we spoke of it for at least a year or two.
I was lying on my sofa recovering from a flu like virus late yesterday afternoon. There's a knock at my door. My kids are home from college on Christmas break. My oldest daughter answers the door. The person who hurt my child and my family over half a decade ago was at my front door. She had come to apologize. I let her talk and talk. She just kept saying she had been wrong. I told her I had forgiven her years ago which I had. She just looked at me and said "How can you forgive me? I can't ever do anything to earn your forgiveness". And like butter it rolled off my tongue "because He forgave me I forgave you". I actually shocked myself. That was all God. Not this Mama Bear.
My child had not seen this person in over 6 years. My daughter came in the back door to see this woman, whom she had loved deeply, sitting in our den. They both hugged for a good 10 minutes. The tears flowed freely. In that moment I witnessed a miracle. My child forgave this adult who had wounded her so deeply. She forgave freely. Willingly. Without condition. Without question. All those years of repeating Luke 6:31? They had stuck!
This world tells us to look out for number one. To get even. To get revenge. Heck, we even have television shows encouraging revenge. Teaching revenge. But our Savior taught forgiveness. Quite honestly, forgiveness is the high road. The hard road. The painful road. But it is the right road.
This child of mine, this now beautiful young adult, has tried every fiber in my body. Quite honestly at times I've felt like giving up. Too tired to fight her free spirit. Exhausted at arguing with her strong will. There have been times when I have cried out to God "Lord, what do I do with her? Has she not learned anything that we've tried to instill in her?" Many nights there has been silence. But most nights I've heard "I've got her".
Yesterday I watched the Lord show me why He came. Why we are celebrating His birth. He came to save us from ourselves, yes. But He also came to teach us forgiveness. To love without condition. Even when we are chastised by the world. "Nice guys finish last". Actually, no. No they don't. They finish first in the eyes of The Lord. I watched God's grace flow freely today. And it was beautiful.
"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."-Proverbs 22:6
