Forgiveness, a continuing process

Today’s Best Jan.28

Today’s Best
By Muffet Dolar Villegas

Forgiveness… a continuing process


Corrie Ten Boom, a woman who suffered during the German occupation of Holland, spoke of forgiveness one day in a church in Munich. Together with her father, brother, sister Betsie, they were sent to concentration camp because they helped the Jews to escape. Her father died after ten days and she watched in agony while her sister was brutally beaten and abused by the SS guards until her last breath.
As she finished speaking, a man stood. She remembered him well. He was one of of the SS guards in that concentration camp. As he stretched his hand to shake hers, the memories of her sister flooded her mind. It seemed eternity before she stretched out her hand. As she did so, the warmth of God’s love enveloped her.
Forgiveness is not easy. Especially those who have been through so much agony. Sometimes we talk about forgiveness but its not easy to apply it. But Corrie Ten Boom walked the talk.
When we forgive, we release ourselves from a prison cell. Floyd Mc Clung said that “Forgiveness is not a feeling. Neither is it simply trying to forget the bad things done to us. It is the act of the will and heart. It is giving the person something they do not have the right to have-pardon.”
He also said that forgiveness acknowledges that we have been wronged but it goes beyond that and extends mercy.
Some people say, I can forgive but I can’t forget. Forgiveness is not done once, it is a continuing process. Hurt comes whenever we remember the deed. But if we are willing to forgive, we continually reaffirm that we have forgiven that person. Healing takes time, and as human beings, it is sometimes impossible.
But by asking God’s grace, God can replace that hurt into love… and love starts with humility. We can only love a person as we know that we too are loved and forgiven many times despite of who we are.