Forgiveness

Life has a way of kicking us in the pants sometimes.  Sometimes, we see it coming...and sometimes, we don't.  We could just be going about our lives and then BAM! we find ourselves lying on our backs, stunned, wondering how in the world we found ourselves in this place.  We never set out to hurt ourselves or to hurt others.   At least, I hope no one does.  I think, in the Christian life, Satan has a way of slipping into our lives and weaving himself and his lies into the fabric of truth we hold onto.  He takes the truth and distorts it.  He is so sly, so manipulative, so evil, that we rarely see him coming.  We get so intertwined in his lies that we often don't realize the mess we are in until we are neck-deep, struggling against his tentacles.

And you know what institution Satan seems to LOVE attacking lately?  Marriage.  He will do any and everything he can to destroy marriages.  He seems to relish in it.  Revel in it.  Delight in it.  And it's sick.  He has destroyed the marriages of friends, of my parents, of other people in my life.  And, he got ahold of mine...  No one goes into marriage expecting to end up divorced after a year or two.  You go into it expecting it to last...to go the distance.  And that is what I did.  I went into my marriage blissfully happy and ready to spend the rest of my life with C.  And it seemed for the longest time that it would end up that way.  But eventually, over time, Satan crept in and did his thing and, after a year and nine months of marriage, we divorced.  It hurts.  It sucks.  It is not at all what I expected or planned...yet, here we are.  But, even so, I know God is faithful.  He can be trusted.  He is good.

Redemption...  Let me tell you, that word sounds so sweet--to both those in need of it and not.  It holds the promise of hope, better days, and restoration of God's working in your life.  God can redeem and restore any and all situation, any and every person, any and every place.  God's power to redeem has no limitations.  And I know he will redeem me, redeem C, and redeem our futures apart from one another. God has a plan.  God knows what lies ahead for both of us and I am trusting Him in that.  He has forgiven me and He can redeem me, redeem my life, my past, and my future...and I am thanking Him for that every day.