Be Ye Not Bitter

Ephesians 4:31&32 says "Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you".  Long ago, someone hurt me to the bone. Someone that I loved with all my heart.  The year was 1981.  Growing up, I had always thought if it happened to me, there would be "NO WAY" that any such thing could ever be forgiven.  The sheer thought of any such thing was reason enough to never look at the person again-- the person that could inflict such grief and pain.  It would just have to be the end of the relationship--plain and simple!!  Yet, the unthinkable had indeed happened.  Then, the Lord in His grace and mercy, showed me in an instant, who was I NOT to forgive this person--when Christ had given His life for ME.  Who was I not to forgive this person-- oh, beloved person--when Jesus Christ had taken ALL my sin and bore it on the Cross of Calvary? He had saved my soul. He had spared me from the horrible pit of hell.  There in the dark, on my knees, I asked the Lord to forgive ME for this flagrant display of arrogance.   He did.  I immediately asked Him to help me to forgive the person that had caused this horrific pain. He then did a marvelous act of grace in my heart. Love, compassion and forgiveness flooded my soul like the deepest ocean!!  He also helped me to learn to love this person more than I could have ever imagined.  Yes, let us put all bitterness away and love one another as we have been commanded by our Lord and Saviour.  Lord, help us to love each other as we should.  Let us also learn to forgive in the same manner in which we ourselves have been forgiven. Amen.  Until We Meet Again...