I remember one lovely sunny day, June 1, Children’s Day in Ulaanbaatar. “Ah, time for some photographs!” I decided. I headed to Sukhbaatar Square, the center of the city, to see the Children’s Day celebration, boarding a crowded bus to get there. I had my camera in its case attached to my belt, ready for the photographic moments to come my way.
But my camera was also ready for the wolves. The bus is one of the best places for a person to be robbed, Mongolian or foreigner alike. Pick-pocketing is one of the most common means of theft in this city. I protected my stuff fairly well. But in a moment, the bus doors opened, the pack of people got out, I reached for my camera, and …. Gone! You might know the feeling. Awful!
“No!! It can’t be!” I thought. I headed back home quickly, thinking that maybe I had left it there by mistake. When bad things happen, the first response is often denial. But looking all around the apartment, I began to accept the fact that my camera had been stolen. What a bad, horrible, sick feeling!!
I thought back to who might have taken it, and had a good idea who. But there was nothing left to do. I was upset most of the day. I loved my camera. It was fairly expensive. It was important to me. Emotions ran high in my soul. There was a sick feeling in my heart.
At times like this, despite strong emotions, I find that thoughts of reason whisper in the back of my mind and I am usually able to keep my heart open to them, and they have saved me myriads of times from doing things I would regret later. “What about all those people you love and admire who have forgiven these others when they have been robbed or hurt or treated badly?” “What about the Lord Jesus who taught us to turn the other cheek when our enemy has hurt us?” “What about the love of God for you, and the forgiveness He had for you when you did so much wrong in the past?” I went to my bedroom and spent time praying. And I forgave the person who robbed me. I knew it was the right thing to do. The compassion I normally have in my heart returned. “Father, forgive him, for he does not know what he does,” I prayed. And I meant it.
Some quotes about forgiveness:
You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well. ~ Lewis B. Smedes
Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me. ~ Anonymous
Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it. ~ Mark Twain
Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it foregoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury. ~ E. H. Chapin
Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another. ~ Jean Paul Richter
The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness. ~ William Blake
When we forgive evil we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it, we do not smother it. We look the evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it. ~ Louis B. Smedes
Enough about me. Now if the tables are turned, and I have hurt someone, or done something wrong to someone, or brought heartache to someone, what a wonderful relief if he has forgiven me!! If we have been at fault, and the other person will not forgive us, it feels like an iron door has been bolted shut, a sense of hopelessness, an end to a friendship we cherished and a friend we loved with all our hearts.
Do you know the feeling? Do you have people in your life who will not forgive you and the friendship you loved is lost? Have you experienced the heartache when all is lost with no hope of a new beginning? I have, and it is sometimes like death itself!
Forgiveness is so undeserved, and so much more wonderful because it’s undeserved. Forgiveness makes us see our friend in a whole new light, to see their kindness and care and true love because they chose to forgive when they didn’t have to; they showed their love in not stepping on our failure and weakness but stooping to take our hand again; they showed us their confidence and strength of character; and proved they are strong, because he who forgives is so much stronger than he who takes revenge. When one person forgives another, it is the key that awakens hope again, brings newness into an impossible situation, and opens the door that was so eternally bolted shut.
Now I consider God. He is perfect. His law is just. He is righteous to condemn us all because we have all broken His perfect law …..
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works., lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:4-10 from the Bible
The wonderful thing about God is that He has forgiven us. He has provided every possible way for us to get right with Him. He send His only begotten Son Jesus to die for us, the righteous for the guilty, that the door to heaven, once so bolted shut, should be opened to us! Jesus offered His life an offering for us. He has done His part. Our part is to tell Him we are sorry, turn from the way we have lived and from what we have done, offer our lives to Him, and live for Him.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~ 1 John 1:9 from the Bible
The greatness of God’s love is shown in the greatness of His forgiveness. Wonderful!! From the cross where He was dying, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” ~ Luke 23:34 from the Bible. Jesus is the greatest man that ever lived. And He is God who came to show us His love and life. And I want to be like Him.
