Meet my beautiful friend and sister Sophia, in the ten years that I have known and loved her she has been such an inspiration to me. Without her knowing she has taught me much about love, prayer and forgiveness. Thank you Sophia for being a woman of YHVH, and for teaching precious lessons to me on this journey that we are on to becoming.....Our Fathers Daughters!!
The Power of Forgiveness
It was October 1978, I had just met the love and Lord of my life......Jesus, and I was born again!! My life would never be the same.....
I was married to a wonderful, hard-working, gentle man, a man of character. I was a baby in my faith. My idea of being a godly wife was far from being what God wanted it to be. Whenever my husband was at home I was singing, praying and listening to praise music. My priorities were so wrong!!
During this time, he started coming home late at night. It became so bad, three or four o'clock in the morning was the usual time. He eventually left me for his best friends wife.
My divorce was the most devastating experience I could ever have imagined. Unforgiveness and bitterness made its way right into the centre of my broken heart. A wonderful and dear friend of mine told me that I must forgive them....but....I was angry and I ignored her words of wisdom for a while.
But then the Holy Spirit started dealing with me, gently showing me all the sin in my heart. He showed me that I was 'religious' and very far from being as 'holy' as I though I was. What a process I went through as God started changing my heart and my attitude. I trusted, and started the process of forgiving them. At first it was only from my lips, but after four years of letting go on a daily basis, crying and wrestling with God....I finally felt that the forgiveness was starting to come from my soul....my heart.
Then one day, God's plan for me to meet this lady, to stand before her face to face, came about unexpectedly. I can still clearly hear God's voice saying to me..."Have you forgiven her?" I replied "Yes, Lord, I have". With my arms around her, embracing her, I told her that I forgive her...that I set her free from blame. If she would love him and be good to him...then...I would stand back.
That day God showed me that not only she was set free but I was now also free...victoriously! Free from all bitterness and unforgivenss. 2 Corinthians 2:10 gave me hope "To whom ye forgive any-thing, I forgive also...".
It is not always easy to forgive some-one, but God helps and strengthens us and as we make the choice...daily, it does become easier.
I learned a valuable life (heart) lesson.....never ever allow bitterness or unforgivenss to harden your heart, it prevents the Holy Spirit from working inside of you.
David wrote a Psalm, Ps 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart oh God, and renew a right spirit within me..."
My loss was great. Eventhough I live a life of victory...I cannot turn back the hands of time.
Forgive and be blessed!!
Mrs Sophia C
3 comments:
Oh my goodness....this post was convicting to me...I have been wrestling with forgiveness for so long... thank you for sharing this portion of your heart.
Thank you Shoshana for sharing Sofia with us. Dear Sofia, to have been able to forgive this lady and your husband could only have been done with Yeshua's help. This I understand now. I have recently finished a study on forgiveness and and spoke to me like never before. Yeshua had already forgiven these people because he died for us already. Would we deny him by not forgiving? Praise YHWH for the work He is doing in you. Thank you for sharing.
~ Carmen
What a sweet reminder! I have struggled with forgiveness issues, and this is a great reminder that we can turn it over to our Father. Thank you Shoshanna for sharing, and thank you Sophia for writing!
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