One day, a woman who had charge over me told me and put in my grad school file, that I wasn’t worth the calling God had placed in my life.  LOL many thoughts ran through my head, grab her braids, wrap them around my hand and

sling her down a flight of steps was probably the best one.  But God spoke to me in that instant,  “this isn’t about you. forgive, let it go, move on” 

I must not have learned that lesson to God’s satisfaction, I was standing in a church meeting a couple years later and the musician called me the devil out loud, in public, for all to hear.  Then someone else chimed in with his utter disdain for me.  I opened my mouth and no words came out.  I said, “God,  you cannot be serious!?!?!?! You’re shutting my mouth, really? They are dogging me, no one is defending me, I’m standing hear mute, tears flowing down my face arguing with you.  God I look like a punk.” God simply said,  “this isn’t about you, it’s about me.  I can release your tongue, but once you defend yourself, I can’t defend you, because then it becomes about you and not me”
I dropped my argument and said “okay fine”.  At that point, the folks stopped dogging me, we had corporate prayer and they left the church.

God tells us that all the time about these personal affronts we face.  People, husbands, wives, children, co workers, strangers, even the known “enemy” often upset us, hurt our feelings, cheat on us, belittle us, not think of us with as much regard as we do them. God gives us an out, trust God and forgive 7 times 70 times.  The Bible teaches about the servant who begged his lord to forgive his great debt. It was done,  but then the same servant refused to forgive the debt of another. His lord found out and said ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

When we forgive really forgive, from our hearts, the real benefit is not for those that we forgive, but for us. God grants us peace, protection, provision and a sense of humor, that we don’t have to take ourselves so seriously.

Merciful and forgiving God, thank you for your love and compassion, thank you for your mercy and your truth, thank you for your guidance and direction. Strengthen us Lord during this time of fasting and praying that we hear from you. That we push through the distractions and all the things that seek to destroy us, that in the midst of trial, we hear from you. Thank you loving and healing God for the peace that comes when we honestly from our hearts forgive, move on and let it go. Thank you gracious God for gentle reminders that real living is all about you, not us. That your Kingdom comes here just like there. Amen