My heart broke for the young woman sitting beside me seeking truth.
My heart broke for a world so full of brokenness, lies and hurt.
My heart broke.
My heart broke.
After a week spent learning about Repentance & Forgiveness, we came together as a class of nineteen students and five staff on Friday. You could feel the heaviness in the room as we began class at 8:30am and sat through the last hour of teaching. Each of us had been asked to spend some time the evening beforehand to seek God for any areas in our life where we needed to see change.
We entered that classroom with burdens weighing on our hearts.
We came seeking repentance and desiring to both receive as well as extend forgiveness.
We came in need of a Saviour.
The teaching ended and we took a brief break before regrouping. The tension and heaviness weighed down as eyes searched the room for the one brave enough to begin. One person stood. As they prayed out to God, the tension lifted. Then one after another prayed out.
Repentance.
God's forgiveness.
The extension of forgiveness to others.
A new chance.
Each individual is different. We have our own culture, background, history, and hurts. Our God is also different from any other. For when He should leave us in our brokenness, guilt and shame He instead meets us there. From the very beginning He chose us. He chose you. He chose me. Though we are so incredibly guilty, covered in shame, broken by lies, and hurt to the core. Still God in His mercy chose us. Chosen by His Son who broke down every barrier so that each of us could be free.
Freedom? Yes, and more! Healing! Truth! Forgiveness! Love! Peace! Second chances! Restoration! My God is in the business of restoration! This is what I witnessed yesterday. Though we come before Him broken, He seeks to give us life. Life in abundance. Life with Him. How could I ever refuse such a gift?
