Forgiveness. By Laura Carson.

A friend recently shared with me about her Chiropractic appointment. The Dr. had placed a dime on the back of her hand and asked if she could feel the weight of the coin. She could not.  He explained a straight spine protects the central nervous system, but a misaligned spine applies pressure, interfering with communication between the nerves and the rest of the body. On a diagram, he pointed out each vertebra and the organs, systems, and muscles it affects. Then he asked if she could feel the dime on her hand. She did! He explained that, like the dime, the slightest pressure on the nervous system increases over time. 

I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve been bent out of shape because someone struck a nerve and I refused to straighten myself out. Instead, I focused on my hurt feelings or how I had been wronged. I recall a toxic coworker who told half-truths and enjoyed pitting one person against another, and a family member who always needed to one up me. I carried one grudge for months, the other for years.

I spent emotional currency avoiding my coworker and avoiding certain family functions. I lay awake at night, taking both adversaries to court in my mind. 

Jesus instructs us to make peace with our adversaries and avoid court where conflicts can grow out of control. and we could be thrown into prison. We can read about this very issue in Matthew 5:25.

“Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on your way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.”  (NKJV) 

That may sound extreme, but we can be in a prison of our own making in our minds. That is where I found myself at this point. By indulging in my own hurt feelings, I had cut myself off from the Lord. I was saddened by how my own selfish thoughts had pulled me away from Him and His Word.

My first feeble attempts at prayer caused me to pause and to reflect deeply on the Lord’s prayer. Many know this by heart and can easily quote the King James version found in Matthew 6:9-13. 

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” 

After choking out the Lord’s prayer several times through my tears. I was finally able to seek and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. And then I was prompted to look in my concordance under sorrow (which is where I still was). I found 2 Corinthians 7:9.

“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.” 

As I continued in my time with the Lord, I heard in my spirit “embrace forgiveness.”  After all, that is why He came.