I've Got This Friend

So God totally kicked my butt this morning. 

Instead of playing solitaire or checking my email

before work today, I read a chapter from 

one of our premarital prep books, When Sinners Say "I Do".

Just the title alone humbles me, however, 

today's read really brought me down a peg. 

It was the chapter on mercy. 

The most humbling part of this chapter

was a story about a pastor and his wife, 

and the pastor had married this lady 

only to further his pastoral career. 

He did not love her, nor did he

respect their marriage

for 40 years!

However, the wife remained 

patient with her husband, 

raised her children, 

and they eventually divorced. 

Throughout their entire marriage, 

she was assured of God's steadfast love

and He sustained her for her entire life. 

The best part of this story is not that 

this couple split; it's that the wife

showed mercy on her husband

and forgave him for everything 

despite his dire treatment of her. 

This couple is now deceased, but both

died with the promises of the Lord

and the forgiveness on their hearts. 

That is real, 100% Godly love. 

AGAPE. 

(Couldn't help but include the Greek. Sorry.) 

Only through the almighty, wonderful, merciful Lord

can someone forgive something that was done to them 

so egregiously.

I began thinking about how I respond when

I feel I'm being wronged and how it's either 

contrary to my theology or in line with it. 

Most of the time it's contrary,

because I'm being self-righteous. 

Who am I to deny someone 

forgiveness and mercy, when

I am in need of it daily?

I drove to work today with 

some heavy thoughts about forgiveness 

and mercy on my heart 

and know that God is working 

on something big in me. 

Let's hope for my sake

that I listen and obey.