A Heart that is Equally Forgiving...

Written By A Man in Fusion: 


"She could tell something was up and wasn't going to let him brush it away any longer.  He knew he'd put it off long enough and had to tell her.  But to tell her about this?  This wasn't exactly something you just brought up in random conversation.  In fact, he'd hardly talked much with anyone about this.  It's not like this was something he was proud of.

But here, seeing the expectant look in her eyes he knew there was no escape.  And so he peeled away the pretense and laid bare a part of his past that had rarely seen the light of day.  Holding nothing back, he piece-by-piece explained how what had started out as juvenile curiosity had grown into a protracted pattern of sin, addiction, conviction, guilt, shame, and regret.

With each confession he dropped he could see her countenance fall as well.  No wilting flower could compare to the sight of watching this otherwise lovely woman literally wilt before his eyes and he realized that at that moment he couldn't have hurt her more if he literally stabbed her in the chest.  But that quickly gave way to a more stark realization.

This could be it.  Though they both cared about each other and the topic of marriage had even entered into discussion, at this point, in the light of this pain and truth, she could walk away.  And how could he blame her?  In that moment of clarity the last shred of dignity that had been holding him together gave way and he buried his face in his hands and wept.  He wept bitterly for his brokenness, his guilt, his shame, the wasted time, the regret, and most significantly for the pain he had now brought on her.

But then, in the midst of his pain, he felt the tender touch of hands reaching out to him.  One was soft and gentle.  The other one was pierced..."

This isn't actually my story, or rather, it isn't actually my story yet.  But sadly there are elements of it that will have to be part of my story.  Because the reality is that sin has consequences and those consequences don't happen to us in a vacuum.  But the reality also is that for all the sin we could ever commit, it cannot be greater than the grace and forgiveness that is found in the Christ Jesus.  May God give her a heart that is equally forgiving...