Forgiveness

You bring restoration, You bring restoration

You bring restoration to my soul

You've taken my pain

You call me by a new name

You've taken my shame

In it's place, You give me joy

Lord, You've taken my pain

and You call me by a new name

You've taken my shame

and in it's place, You give me joy

You take my mourning, turn it into dancing

You take my weeping, turn it into laughing

You take my mourning, turn it into dancing

You take my sadness, turn it into joy

I'm building up my Spotify playlists and came across this gem.  Restoration is one of my all-time favorite worship songs.  It always makes me feel so...comforted.

Speaking of feeling comforted, I was doing my reading for this week's prayer group meeting last night.  The topic?  Forgiveness.  There was a brief synopsis given by the author followed by scripture that points to why we are commanded to forgive and the peace it can bring to us.  This was paired with writings on the importance of praying about those we are working to forgive as well as for those we are working to forgive.

Holy moly, talk about perfect timing.  Forgiveness is always at least a small struggle for me.  It's not that I hold grudges; it's that I guard my heart too much after the fact.  Once I pass the initial hurt or anger, I don't allow myself to fully let go of what happened.  Now don't read me wrong.  I think it smart to remember what happened so as not to let it smack you in the face a second time.  But holding onto it and limiting yourself because of it?  Not smart. 

Forgiveness is also something that happens to be a current, larger struggle for me at the moment.  I see it holding me back in my every day interactions and sucking up some of the potential joy I could be experiencing.  Last night's reading was precisely what I needed to snap me into "go mode".  No more sulking in unforgiveness for me!  How gracious is He that He gives you exactly the medicine you need to help cure your struggle.