Nobody Can Count That High

 

Then Peter came up

   and said to Him,

"Lord, how often will

my brother sin against me,

     and I forgive him?

  As many as seven times?"

Jesus said to him,

"I do not say to you

       seven times,

but seventy times seven."

              Matthew 18. 21-22

(In Judaic tradition,

   three times was sufficient

   to reveal a forgiving spirit.

Jesus says, "Stop counting."

If we forgave so much

    that we lost count,

we would be

   far different people.

We cannot help

      but be changed radically

   by forgiving.

And realizing His mercy is more.

What is so hard about forgiving

  is realizing our own need for it.

We are not perfect either.)

Love you out there.

Praying for you

        the courage to forgive.

O LORD,

We ask for You

   to change our triggers,

soften our hearts,

and alter our responses.

May Your mercy

    cover both our wounds

    and our brokenness.

Help us to be not just

      quick with forgiveness

   but deep with it.

Turn our hearts

       right side up.

Fill our pockets with

      forgiveness and sincerity.

Because that is how

     we love one another.

Because that is how

         You love us.

One forgiveness comes

   layered on another.

Help us to realize

 forgiveness is

         never insignificant,

only profoundly life changing.

And nobody can

          count that high.