She had made a terrible...
Illustration
She had made a terrible mistake. In a moment of carelessness behind the wheel she brought great harm to several she loved and to a good, innocent family she didn‚--ôt even know. The investigating officers had quickly assigned the blame to her. The words "my fault" burned into her like a hot bullet. Well-meaning friends tried to tell her, "It wasn‚--ôt your fault." She knew better. With just a fraction more alertness on her part, seven people could have been spared the searing crash. What she needed now was not an excuse but forgiveness.
The accident weighed all the more heavily on her because she was a deeply responsible woman. The others involved were merciful to her. Her family. Even the strangers. They saw the depth of her sorrow. Their acceptance eased the burden, but not completely. She still carried the anguish and the sense of personal guilt.
"Finally," she said some two years later, "the pain lifted for me when through the forgiving eyes of others I saw the forgiveness of God. I knew I had done wrong. I confessed it. That‚--ôs the only word for what went on in my heart. I confessed. And when I realized that, yes, even God had forgiven, I was able to forgive myself. I entered back into life again."
The saying is indeed sure. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just. God will forgive. God will cleanse us from the hurt, the guilt, the pain.
The accident weighed all the more heavily on her because she was a deeply responsible woman. The others involved were merciful to her. Her family. Even the strangers. They saw the depth of her sorrow. Their acceptance eased the burden, but not completely. She still carried the anguish and the sense of personal guilt.
"Finally," she said some two years later, "the pain lifted for me when through the forgiving eyes of others I saw the forgiveness of God. I knew I had done wrong. I confessed it. That‚--ôs the only word for what went on in my heart. I confessed. And when I realized that, yes, even God had forgiven, I was able to forgive myself. I entered back into life again."
The saying is indeed sure. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just. God will forgive. God will cleanse us from the hurt, the guilt, the pain.
