With anxious eyes she looked at my badge which declared ‘Happy to pray with you’ and asked for a few minutes in private. As I listened, her problem actually seemed to be a non-issue for her anyway. Hmmmm. So, I asked “Is there something else that is troubling you?” And THAT’s when the tears began streaming down her face uncontrollably. ‘sob, sob, sniff, sniff and sob again’ I reached for the box of tissues, touched her shoulder reassuringly, and prepared to listen as she poured her troubled heart out.
Lady was very happily married, had a great job, wonderful husband and a lovely, healthy toddler. Her relationship with her in-laws was a happy one too. BUT you know how it is when we push something to the back of our minds and pretend that it is therefore resolved, but know deep, deep within that it really isn’t?
That is what Lady had done when she had begun her relationship with the man who was now her husband. In her opinion; one of the choices she had made all those years ago was against her personal convictions but she went ahead and made it anyway. And although for all intents and purposes the world thought everything was fine, her conscience said that to her it was not. So we to-ed and fro-ed, criss-crossing the backroads of her mind, exploring what was really troubling her, confronted them, and presto! She was good to go – and just get on with the business of living life to the fullest with no bugbears niggling at her in the background. Joy oh joy, the next time we met she flashed a radiant, carefree smile at me. She had forgiven herself and was free, free FREE! Ha ha That’s the way it should be! God says so.
Now Woman had also given in to a bout of self-indulgence, but unlike Lady, had quite easily justified her actions to herself. Yeah, I did that, SO WHAT! Well, her problem was wondering whether her friends had excused her? The next time we all met up she defiantly strutted towards us with shoulders marching, almost daring someone to react unfavorably. But you know what? Everyone just took the day as any other, and Woman visibly relaxed and was able to be herself and get on with life. Unlike Lady, she had been looking for forgiveness from others. And she had got it too. YES!
In both cases accepting and giving forgiveness was the key to self-given permission for making a wholesome fresh start. Like it or not, we have to live with ourselves and also with others and there are consequences to what we do, whether we want to admit that or not. Lady and Woman happily got to a place where for them there was no more condemnation from anyone – just an expectation that the past was past indeed and that a new day meant a new beginning that did not include reverting to old indulgences that had been mistakes. They could start writing honestly on a clean new page for the benefit of the face in the mirror.
Sure, we can wallow and/or cringe in the opinions of others, but there’s no escaping that WE make our own choices. AND that we can choose to make each day a fresh start of new freedoms to live at peace with ourselves, and with those around us too, without obligation. God’s Promises are new every morning and His Love for each person is simply unconditional, and is there for the asking and taking. Happy Sunday peeps!
HA HA ☺:
The devil made me do it – Flip Wilson X
The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions – Leonardo da Vinci √
Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. – Demosthenes √
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