this is what friends are

You see that link to the right that says "Keith's Blog"? That's there for a reason. Because he is my dear friend and what he writes comes straight from the heart. He took the time to read my entry yesterday, a tough entry for me to write, and responded, via his own blog, with this thoughtful response.

This is the real deal. Thanks Keither. I know you're reading this and I appreciate what you wrote. You are a truly a dear friend.

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FORGIVENESS

I just finished reading my friend, Gabe's blog. As I read it, my heart hit the floor with a resounding "THUD!" Forgiveness was the topic of the day. Gabe's pain level was at an all time high as he stepped into the reality of this process we call, "forgiveness." I felt his pain and resonated with his struggle.

I wish I had some piece of inspiration to encourage him in navigating this sea of torment. But honestly I don't have much at all. All I know is any real hope we have is when God infuses us with His strength to forgive. There is no other way. We can't forgive on our own power. It's impossible. The only way we can forgive, or live for that matter, is by His Spirit.Forgiveness is hard. It's the last frontier of love. It tests our hearts and let us know how much love we truly lack. It's the force that separates soul and spirit. In forgiveness there is love and in love there is forgiveness. So the struggle and search continues.

For those of us in the process, I hear the Lord asking, "Do you still want to walk in love? Are you still committed to the process?" It's a tough question if we're gut-level honest. I want to say, "Yes," with all my heart, but I can't discount the other voices inside my head. I must travel to the unreached areas of my soul and allow Jesus to reach out to me in those places. Am I willing? Yes, I believe I am. But I need His love to constrain me --- to hold me while I'm on the operating table. My tendency is to leave while God is mid-way through the surgery. I don't always know how to stay with the process. Maybe that's the importance of encouraging one another to stay on the table --- just one more day.

So, Gabe, if you're reading this post, take heart my friend. You are not alone. We WILL learn to love. We WILL learn to forgive. It's a process. I think at some point it must get easier than this. But if it doesn't I'm certain that God will give us the grace to hold on as we're holding on to one another.Trust is not forgiveness. I don't think the Lord is asking you to jump right into a situation that would be emotionally unsafe. That wouldn't be love for you or the other person. Continue to ask the Lord for direction on that one. It's definitely not a light matter. So much for the lack of inspiration.

The last couple days I've been thinking of the painting entitled, "Forgiven." In the painting Jesus was lifting up a hammer wielding man. The man was exhausted, but I noticed he was stilling hanging on to his hammer. Isn't that how we are when it comes to forgiveness. We come to Jesus with no strength left, but we still hang on to the hammer of unforgiveness. We just can't seem to let go. At some point Jesus will ask us to give up the hammer, but until then, He is hold us, waiting for the day we are finally tired of carrying the burden of unforgiveness. He waits --- with nail pierced hands, always waiting, never letting go. He truly loves us.