Currently, I am preparing to teach a ladies' retreat. I've never done this before. Once, when I was quite young, in my twenties, I think, I was asked to speak at a Mother-Daughter Tea. Being young, I went forward brashly and presented something completely unmemorable, probably no help to anyone.
Teaching Bible studies is the passion of my heart, and God gave me a virtually-seven-year hiatus from it. Recently, a dear woman at our new-found church granted me the privilege of doing some long-term subbing for her while she is going through a busy and overwhelming season of life. This has been a tremendous joy, and such a wholesome, healthy place for me to focus my mind. How kind God is, to give me wonderful things to meditate on, while I struggle to manage troubling life issues that tempt me to doubt His goodness.
Somehow, while I was in the middle of the rich joy of studying and teaching, the women's council at our church approached me and asked if I would be the speaker at our spring ladies' retreat.
It sounded like a wonderful thing to do. A sweet young lady asked me. After praying, I told her, "Yes, I will do that. I'd love to. When is it?" She told me it was in April. I said, "I'll really look forward to that. Thank you so very much for trusting me with such a responsibility. I'll be happy to do that. In March, when it's drawing close, I'll probably be a little freaked out and wonder why I said yes. But right now I'm excited, and so grateful that you would ask me."
So. It's March. I'm having some tense times, but mostly I'm excited, although intimidated. It's okay. In our weekly Bible study, in 2 Corinthians, we are studying words that ask, "Who is sufficient for these things?" and answer, "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us to be sufficient..."
My grace is sufficient for you, God tells me, for my power is made perfect in weakness. And God knew, exactly, that I would need these words, this encouragement, this month while I feel so insufficient. I am insufficient, but it's okay, because God is sufficient, and He will come through.
The retreat is called: The Way of Forgiveness: Receiving and Extending the Grace of God.
This may be ironic, because I'm by no means a master at forgiving. Yet, I take God's commands about forgiving very seriously, so I am always trying to learn how to forgive better. Perhaps we teach more effectively in areas where God has made it necessary for us to practice again and again, because we keep struggling to get it right.
Yesterday as I was working on the retreat, God showed me something I can't believe I'd never seen before. It's not about forgiveness, exactly, It's about apologizing, about being the one who needs to ask for forgiveness. Do you know that a good apology can help someone tremendously with their struggle to forgive? That's not the new thing God showed me, though. God showed me something else. He showed me that in the forgiveness process, if you apologize to someone and ask for forgiveness, and the person says, "I forgive you," that is not the end. No! There is one more thing, a very important step to bring closure for both parties. After someone tells you, "I forgive you," it is very important to say, "Thank you."
Did you know that? I don't know why I never realized it before. Forgiveness is an undeserved gift, and if someone gives you this gift, you need to respond with appropriate gratitude. If you don't feel thankful for the forgiveness you receive, you must not have been appropriately sorry for the wrong you did.
I realized this because the Bible says, "Forgive as God in Christ forgives you." We pattern our human confession-forgiveness exchanges after the grace of God. All who have truly received the Lord's forgiveness surge up with gratitude for this great gift. We should also be grateful for forgiveness extended to us from another person. This requires great humility, but it pays in an abundance of joy and restoration.
Think about how fears would be allayed and life would be different if we learned this conversation:
I'm sorry.
I forgive you.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment