Friday, July 20, 2012

Let the engine lead, not the caboose...

We always say that at our house when we can tell feelings are taking over. It was an analogy we heard years ago about our life being like a train. The engine is where the truth- FACTS- are, and feelings should be at the back of the train, in the caboose. They are great, they are necessary, but they shouldn't be what drives our purpose or our lives.

This week we have just been clinging to that. I heard a great quote, "Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling." We have just been choosing to forgive and find a new normal. Even when we don't feel like it.

Thank you, Lord for each new day- with no mistakes in it yet.

"Search me, God, and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness too. What I widdled it down to is; It's not about saying that what the offender did is ok or denying that something still hurts. Even after you forgive someone the pain and emotion is still going to be present. It's that you have to look at yourself and ask do I trust that God is able to handle this mess better than I can and that He can somehow work this out for His glory? Even as I write this, I'm wrestling with how horribly difficult it is.

Psalm 103 says that "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." If I was God, I would be able to do that too. Since I am not I need to ask for the strength to forgive not just once but every time I see the sin instead of the sinner.