A Decision To Forgive – Heather Welch
When I was asked to be a guest on See Hear Love, I knew preparation would be part of the process, but I didn’t expect the extent and depth God would continue healing my heart through that preparation.
I am a person who likes to be prepared. I like knowing that in each situation, I am well equipped in order to offer the best of myself, to whomever I am with. That is just part of my nature and how I am wired.
When the guest host, Karen Welch, approached me and asked me if I would share how forgiveness has lead to healing in my life, I knew in my spirit I was to say yes!
Side note, I made this deal with God awhile ago – if you put an opportunity in front of me I will say YES. I have discovered that with that commitment comes obedience and a stretching on a level I hadn’t anticipated! I have also discovered how incredibly faithful my God is through it all.
Besides the obvious (at least for me) initial hesitation of saying yes to going on National Television and all the Socials that this show touches, my heart skipped a beat because of the topic that was to be shared. Forgiveness. Healing. Freedom. Those are big words with massive implications.
Those words indicate that there must have been some sort of affliction. Pain. Hurt. Abuse. Betrayal. The list can go on and on. Was I prepared in my heart to share? Was I prepared to examine my heart to the depths required and see if unforgiveness still lingered?
In order to honestly and humbly sit (on zoom) and share part of my story, I knew I needed to ask myself some hard questions. It was in the preparation leading up to the show, through hours of prayer and contemplation, and ultimately through the obedience of saying yes, that God continued the healing of my heart through deeper levels of forgiveness. My one desire being to give all the glory to Jesus!
You see, I have learned a few things (sometimes the hard way) about forgiveness. Jesus, full of grace, has offered me freedom. I now have taken on a new identity or state of being as a forgiven Child of God. I am a forgiven woman, praise God! Believe me, I need it.
I picture it this way- like I am swimming in a pool of grace. God made me to be in relationship with him. Through Jesus and the forgiveness he offers, I have direct access to my Heavenly Father. He also has asked me to offer that forgiveness to others. In fact, He commanded that I give it if I want to want to be forgiven.
So the BIG question when we have been hurt and wounded by others becomes HOW do we forgive when the pain is so acute, when so much has been taken from us, stripped from us, stolen from us?
I have discovered that it simply comes down to an act, a decision to forgive, reminding yourself ‘I will not be bound to this event or person any longer’. That leads to the daily process of letting go.
This is where the rubber meets the road. It takes Truth, the Holy Spirit and time. This is where the real work begins, as memories, current events and people continue to trigger us towards anger and bitterness. But if we can daily participate with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will find more and more freedom and continued healing in our own lives through the process of forgiveness.
As I prepared for the interview, I am thankful to say, God brought more healing into my life, albeit through the painful process of letting go, and there are new areas of freedom I am experiencing because of it! All glory to Jesus!