A Healing Place: Good Words and Hugs

MW, I hope you can get your Photobucket account working again!

I love the Scriptures and pictures you posted. Thank you!

I went into this Thanksgiving weekend with heaviness in my heart. There are some situations in my family to which there appear no immediate resolutions. Yet recalling how in Mattew 6:14-15 Jesus said that if we don't forgive we will not be forgiven, I knew I needed to forgive:

[bible]Matthew 6:14-15[/bible]

So this is what I have done: I have forgiven the individuals involved every time I've thought of them. I have also prayed blessings on them:

[bible]Luke 6:27-28[/bible]

I love to pray this blessing especially for someone:

[bible]Acts 3:26[/bible]

That God will turn someone away from sin and turn them toward Him is a blessing I can pray for anyone!

Last, I have been giving each of these situations to the Lord:

[bible]Psalm 55:22[/bible]

I call to mind Isaiah, where the Lord promises us peace:

[bible]Isaiah 26:3[/bible]

When I am troubled again, then I go through this process again. Jesus said to Peter that he should forgive, even seven times 70 times. Well, sometimes I feel like I have forgiven all 490 times in one week. But I choose to walk in forgiveness.

[bible]1 Corinthians 6:7[/bible]

I choose to accept wrong rather than walk in unforgiveness.


If any of you are struggling with a situation like mine, I hope these verses help you. We are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us!

[bible]Romans 8:37[/bible]

JPPT1974 said:

It is hard to forgive but we must
Do it as the Lord would want us to
He can do it through us!

Click to expand...

Yes, JPPT, it is hard to forgive sometimes. And you are so right, what we can't do, Christ can do through us!

Forgiveness is so necessary. If we don't forgive, that anger will become bitterness, something so caustic and poisonous that it will begin eating out our souls. Our hearts especially will be eaten up, hardened and changed. We must forgive.

Yes, it is possible to forgive. Here is a verse which helps me so much:

[bible]Colossians 3:13[/bible]

We can forgive because Christ forgave us!

When I'm struggling with forgivenes, I find it helps to remind myself of what Christ did for me. What do I owe Him? Don't I owe Him everything? Didn't this grace of forgiveness come from Him? So I take what He has given me, and give it to others.

I forgive, because Christ forgave me first.

I posted this in another forum, but want to repost it here. I hope it blesses someone:

Jesus is such a healer. As we go through this season, let us remember what He did for us--and let us extend that same grace to others--

Have you ever had a relative who just seemed to know how to say the right things to get you hurt, upset, or even make you feel depressed? I had a relative like that once.

She was coming to see me, and every visit with her to that date had ended up with me in tears. It didn't matter how wonderfully I cleaned my house, took care of my kids or loved my husband, I would never be any good in the eyes of this woman, it seemed. She always found the negative, and it made me feel small, disrespected and unloved.

One afternoon before such a visit I pushed all these thoughts out of my head and went to the Lord and asked for help. Then I fell into bed, exhausted. I needed a nap! I slept--and the Lord spoke to me. "A gracious woman retains honor," He said. He gave me the understanding that no matter what happened, He wanted me to treat this person with honor and respect. He wanted me to be gracious and kind. He also helped me see that I should not allow this woman to treat me with disrespect in any way, either.

"A gracious woman retains honor." The words reverberated in my heart as I woke up. I knew this was in Proverbs, so I looked it up.

[bible]Proverbs 11:16[/bible]

I thought about everything the Lord had said and resolved to obey.

"A gracious woman retains honor." When I met this person, I looked for positive words immediately. She was wearing a lovely blouse, and I admired that. That set the tone for the rest of the visit, to give good words, positive words, affirming words, words of honor and respect, and even words of gratitude for all the good things she had done for me in the past.

It was the best visit I had ever had with this relative.

Here is the amazing part. The gracious words had an effect! She seemed to soften, and even grow a little flustered. Her guard came down. Most amazing of all, her words to me were gracious as well.

I thought about this later, and in the years since, I have realized something I never would have understood otherwise. This woman needed gracious words desperately. She needed tender loving care. Here all these years I had known her I had been looking for words of affirmation from her. Instead, I was giving them to her, and they were healing her.

"A gracious woman retains honor." My sisters in Christ, every one of us has the capacity to be gracious, because we have within us the Holy Spirit who pours out the love of God into our hearts:

[bible]Romans 5:5[/bible]

Be gracious. Treat others with honor. Remember that you are a beloved daughter of the Most High God, and as such you have great love and great wisdom within you. His name is Jesus!

What a lovely picture, MightyWarrior, thank you!

MW, these were beautiful. Thank you so much.

JPPT, thank you for the Scripture. I came here this morning and both of you really ministered to me. Thank you!