This woman has an amazing story. She overcame bitterness of losing a relationship with her child!
It’s difficult when people hurt us, especially those we love and those who are hard to love. Whether family, friend or foe, bottom line it hurts and depending on the offense, it can make us down right out angry, unforgiving and bitter!
Over the years I have been hurt, who hasn’t. I have suffered at the hand of others many times – – physically, verbally and relationally. The most heart wrenching was the loss of my relationship with my daughter. A loss that was, in part, because my daughter heard an abundance of hurtful words about me from others.
As a disciple of Christ, if I choose to hold onto the hurt, the pain, and/or bitterness and resentment, then my heart will become hardened – – it will be blocked from being able to love, to forgive and to heal. In fact, it will distance me from my relationship with God and His Son. The Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 103:8-12 “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving-kindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”
Looking back at the mistakes I’ve made over the years, I know that I have hurt others – – I am not exempt from causing the same pain that others have caused me. As a Disciple of Christ, these mistakes were in need of making right, asking for forgiveness and proactively doing my best to reconcile with those I hurt. One of those mistakes was with my daughter’s father. With the help and strength of Jesus, I took the steps needed for reconciliation and, regardless of my daughter and I not being reconciled to this day, my heart rejoices over letting go of the pain I caused my daughters father.
Bottom line – – if God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, loving, kind, patient and forgiving with me – – ME, the one who has made so many mistakes, poor choices and hurtful decisions to the point of not only hurting others but also my Creator – – who am I not to forgive another who has hurt me? God forgives and forgets – – “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us.” “He has not dealt with us according to our sins.”
As a disciple of Christ, I am to follow that teaching and example. Regardless of the offense, I choose to forgive those who have hurt me, like God forgives me – –
AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST!
To reach Therese Shelesky:
Women of The Way Ministries
Attn: Therese M. Shelesky
P.O. Box 776017
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
tms@womenofthewayministries.org
Confession Letters 