TO FORGIVE IS NOT EASY, BUT POSSIBLE

TO FORGIVE IS NOT EASY, BUT POSSIBLE

Many years ago long before I married there was a young man who proposed to me for I seemed to be the ideal he was looking for in a Christian wife. I explained kindly to him that though his proposal was flattering, that this was not right. I said he should join a young peoples’ club and meet Christian girls more suited to him. We promised not to mention this to anyone and that we would forget this.
However, the next day, my co-worker received a letter from him saying he was in love with me. In the same letter he mentioned to her that he thought I was bad in character for I was talking to all the Managers (giving their names) in the store. He said he and his Minister were praying for me to stop being “bad”. When my friend read the letter she was very angry with him and wanted to confront him and also inform the Managers about this letter. I extracted a promise from her not to interfere in this matter and that I would deal with it myself. I was very upset as well and my flesh wanted him punished. However, I called him and spoke to him kindly again telling him to forget the whole thing.
He then wrote a registered letter to my parents saying that I was of bad character and again gave the same details to her. My mother cried and said to me, she was frightened to show my father the letter for he would want to beat up this young man. At that time I was under persecution from my father for my commitment to Jesus Christ and she did not know how my father would react under these circumstances. She felt my father had to know what was going on but did not know how he would react. We both cried unto the Lord together knowing that the enemy was trying to attack my character and we decided to tell my father about the letter. She did not give him the letter but just mentioned there was such a letter from one of my friends at work. My father immediately said he would thrash the young man and wanted her to show him the man but she said she could manage this situation.
I was really so angry and I wanted this young man sacked and disgraced and I wept before the Lord asking His help. When I would see him my blood would boil and I would want to hurt him back. I told the Lord how I felt but I also knew as a born-again Christian I should forgive and love my enemies.
I cried for three nights for His grace to help me through this situation as I did not have the right attitude and on the third day He gave me peace in my heart. Now when I saw him I could feel sorry for him. I again spoke to him and told him that my father was ready to beat him up and complain to the Company about his letter and at once he became pale and frightened. In the meantime I burned the letter before we would have to show it to my father so there was no chance of losing his job or being beaten. The man now was able to see what a great wrong he did and asked for forgiveness and I was able to freely forgive him because of the grace of God.
Much later he became a good friend to me and helped me to raise funds for a project to help the less fortunate children in a School that I was helping!
It is more than 40 years now, and he is married and still my friend and I’m now helping him in his endeavors to help the less fortunate in India! Isn’t this marvelous for only God sees the end from the beginning and He does ALL things well. (Romans 8: 28) Glory to God!

God’s ways are marvelous when we are willing to obey His Word for His grace is sufficient!
We read in Mathew 6: 14,15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
When we find it hard to forgive and we know we should, then let us go to Father-God and ask for His grace to see us through and His grace is sufficient when we want to do His will. PRAISE GOD!!
Margaret Wright