Forgiveness is he gift of letting go.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Make allowance for each other’s faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember,
the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Colossians 3:13 New Living Translation

These two aspen trees have seen far too many people express their never-ending love in their bark, and from all appearances, it doesn’t seem like people are finished.

Fox Run Regional Park, Black Forest, Colorado

Our lives might feel like scar filled trees.

The older we get, the more our lives look like these trees. The accumulation of the scars inflicted by others and by our own poor judgement is a mark of our lives.

God calls us to forgive others as he has forgiven us.

God calls us to forgive ourselves as he has forgiven us.

The scars on these aspen trees have not killed them. Likewise, the scars we experience do not have the power to kill us because of God’s gracious gift of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the gift of letting go; letting go of the pain that others have inflicted on us and the pain we have inflicted on ourselves. It’s the gift that flows from the cross of Jesus Christ where we’re freely and fully forgiven.

The scars in Jesus’ hands, feet and side guarantee this gift of forgiveness.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner