“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”… The Lord’s Prayer Lent is a time of forgiveness, a time to cleanse our souls of personal sin, but also a time to forgive others who have sinned against us. As we prayerfully examine the depths of our hearts, we allow the Lord to free us from the chains of guilt and sin (both our own and others) that hold us back from experiencing the glory He has planned for us. Every time we pray the Our Father, we ask for forgiveness, but also declare that we will forgive others… “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In order for us to be fully forgiven, we must also be willing to forgive, to love others as Jesus loves us. In our Mom’s Group meeting this last week, Claire Frazier-Yzaguirre, MFT and author of Thriving Families, spoke to us about “The Power of Forgiveness and Reconciliation”. She opened her discussion by calling each of us to “live at the intersection of mercy and justice.” She explained that forgiveness is not condoning or excusing bad behavior but rather recognizing the truth and speaking the truth in a merciful and loving way. Forgiveness calls us to see others as Jesus sees them, with compassion, not condemnation; to declare “I love you more than what you did!” God longs for us to live in unity and peace. He calls us to stop judging and start restoring dignity. She said that God wants each of us to go through a “grudge detox”, showing compassionate acceptance and searching for healthy solutions instead of judgment. Our speaker also reminded of the passage in the Bible of the women caught in adultery (click here to read John 8:1-11). The part of this passage that we most often remember is the line “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” This is a powerful line and one that bears repeating over and over every day, but the part that Claire called us to focus on was the final line of the passage where Jesus says to her “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” Jesus meets the adulterous woman at the intersection of mercy and justice. He does not condemn her nor does he allow others to condemn her, but he also does not condone her behavior. He forgives her and loves her, but closes by telling her to “sin no more”. In forgiveness, we are also often called to put on the shoes of the other person and walk in them for bit. As we seek to understand where the other person is coming from, it may give us more clarity as to what was going on in their life at the moment they hurt us. It can help with to be less judgmental and more compassionate. A quote that really struck me was “hurt people, hurt people.” In other words, people who have tremendous hurt in their own lives, often turn their pain into hurtful actions towards others. They are like a wounded animal, lashing out aggressively at anything that comes near them. As we seek to understand their behavior (not condone it by any means!), we can more clearly and openly discuss solutions in a loving, merciful manner. Anger, grudges, and judging create hearts of stone within us. During Lent especially, let us remember that Jesus died on the cross to take ALL of these things away from us. Allow Jesus today to melt our hearts of stone, giving us the grace to love others as He loves us all! For meditation: Say the Our Father slowly and meditatively, letting the words fully cover your being. Focus on the words “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Pray over the areas of your life where you need forgiveness. Then also pray over the areas of your life where you need to forgive. See your “trespassers” as Jesus sees them. Walk in their shoes. Think of ways that you can speak truth mercifully into these hurtful relationships. During these last couple of weeks of Lent, seek both to forgive and be forgiven. Written by Amy Connelly for the OLQA Mom’s Group
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Have you ever lost your keys? I try to consistently hang them on the same hook every day, but some days just get more hectic than others, and my keys get thrown mindlessly in the closest available spot. I’m sure you moms can relate… one kid is begging for a snack, the other is showing you the prize winning rock he found the playground that day, and the third little one is just running around in a circle screaming for no apparent reason. Such is the story of my life these days. Recently, I was having one of “those Mondays” and my keys did not get hung up in their proper spot. Instead they made their way onto the kitchen counter, not a safe place while active toddler hands are around. Anything left within reach of our 22 month olds is either dumped, destroyed, eaten, or hidden. I knew better than to leave my keys within his reach, but hanging them up was not my priority at that moment. Next thing I knew, our energetic toddler had my keys in his clever hands and headed out the front door chasing his big brother. I followed quickly behind, but by the time I got to him, the keys were gone…. disappeared into thin air, like so many other things in our house these days. We knew that the keys had to be in our front yard somewhere, but where had they gone? The mad search began. The whole family on our knees, we searched under every bush, tree, rock, and flower. The neighbors got involved. Friends came over to help. No keys! We seriously searched for hours, into the dark of night with flashlights. Still no keys! The search went on for days, as fear and anxiety began to occupy my mind. Luckily I had a spare car key, but I worried that my other keys, with our house key attached to them, would end up in the wrong hands. I searched and searched (and I will admit, cursed and cursed), but still no keys. Then Thursday morning came along, and I went our Mom’s Group meeting at the church. That day we read the passage “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46, NASB). We discussed the topic of “Christ Be Our Light”, allowing God to illuminate the path before us and trusting fully in His plan for our lives. We talked about how Christ’s light eliminates our fears, bringing clarity and hope to even the darkest places in our lives. When I got home from the meeting, I hit my knees, praying and praying for my keys to be found. I fully and completely gave the situation over to the Lord, admitting that I could not do it alone and asking God to light my way. I sat in silent meditation for some time, just repeating the words “Christ Be My Light, Christ Be My Light, Christ Be My Light!” Suddenly, I felt a call that literally pulled me from the knees to my feet, saying “I AM your light. Go outside and let Me light your path.” With admittedly a bit of hesitation, as all of my past searches had only lead to frustration, I went out the front door and into the yard. As I walked across the driveway, I noticed a bursting ray of sunlight glistening through the trees. Like a heavenly beacon of light, it was shining right on the spot that I had searched for hours and now days. I walked immediately towards the light, and as I followed the bright ray of sunshine all the way to the ground, there were my keys, sitting in broad daylight, illuminated by this bright Heavenly light. I immediately fell to my knees, this time in both thanksgiving and awe of the deep love and power of our Lord. When I had tried to find the keys on my own, I failed. Even with the help of family, friends, and neighbors, we failed. But when I fully trusted in the Lord, acknowledging my human weaknesses, asking for help, and allowing Him to lead the way, Christ was able to light my path and illuminate my life. For Meditation: What are you searching for right now? In what areas of your life are you experiencing darkness? In prayerful meditation, honestly and completely present these areas of your life to the Lord. Then meditate on these words, saying them over and over, allowing the Lord to bring you from darkness to light: “Christ Be My Light, Christ Be My Light, Christ Be My Light.” If you have a few extra minutes, listen to the song “Christ Be Our Light” (CLICK HERE). Written by Amy Connelly for the OLQA Mom’s Group “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.”
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January 2015
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