Repentance and Forgiveness

Michael Pritzl wrote a song called the Throne of Grace. I remember hearing him sing: "It's your kindness that leads to repentance; it's your blood that brings forgiveness. In your mercy I find myself at your Throne of Grace." Wow, that is so true. I have always loved Michael J. Pritzl! He is honest in his lyrics, they do come from his heart very wonderfully and creatively reflecting the awesome glory of our God. Can you hear that without it sounding too religious? And yeah, I know Michael is human and not perfect, too!

I like people watching, do you? Not peeping tom style! I like watching people at airports and restaurants- you know, places where you are meeting people? While waiting lots of people may pass by. I look at couples and notice whether they are old, young, together and happy or sad. I note that sometimes people have been together so long they begin to resemble one another! How do I know this? Well, you can just tell! I am, afterall, married to the same man for 26 years. Somedays I hope I don't look like him but I know I do things like he does. Who can help it after so long? I don't know if I am brainwashed or just conditioned!

At the airport recently while waiting to say goodbye to a friend returning to her country from South Africa I had time to observe some people, mindsets, signs and wonders. I noticed an advertisement on a sign at the back wall: Evil prevails whilst good men do nothing. Shocking! No explanation, just the words. It got me thinking for sure. What was their message? Do something! What? Watch out, care, reach out, help, defend, advocate- what? So, if you aren't doing anything then evil is prevailing? No one is allowed to do nothing, okay? Hold your breath if you do! But then I thought, well maybe the sign is there as a quiet mind shaper. Many of the travellers have witnessed more poverty and crime than they might see in a lifetime. Perhaps the sign is trying to influence them to do something that change might occur? Maybe it isn't allowed to say, "Watch your bag, there are thieves about!" Maybe that's the seeker friendly, politically correct way to say to tourists visiting South Africa: "Hey we got crime, you got your game on?" Wake up and smell the coffee!

To be fair, crime and poverty are everywhere. Some countries just do a little better job of blending them into the environment/fray, I think. Some cities in the U.S. have strange ways of doing this. For example, the city of Atlanta offers one way tickets out of their city for homeless vagrants. They must just promise never to come back! That's a hand up, eh? Guess one has to make the most of that bus ride!

I was thinking about the whole repentance and forgiveness thing realizing that offenses are really mercy opportunities to extend grace rather than just shut down and/or isolate ourselves from hurt and disappointment. Fear, hurt, disappoint can be huge thieves in the relationship game. We musn't let these rob or deny us of the gift of relationships! Just helping my friend out at the airport at 7 a.m. I realized our need for one another. She speaks English pretty well but hasn't travelled enough to know where to go and what to do when changing planes. So I asked the airline to arrange a liaison to help her through to the International gate upon her arrival at her next destination. I added that if they had an employee who spoke French it would be very helpful for her. They didn't have anyone! My friend Elizabeth and I had just agreed the day before how South Africa needs to embrace the Africans coming into their cities, escaping their war torn countries. These people speak several different languages, are friendly, trustworthy, sometimes even trained professionals! They could have some of the better jobs if people would give them a chance. We noted that they were gifts from God in a promised land, yet the promised land didn't want to accept them for what they were! Hmmm, spot any pattern? It denies the promised land of its destiny! Why is America called the melting pot? Do they eat a lot of chocolate? Maybe, but that's not the point. Many foreigners have immigrated to America and found jobs, security and acceptance. South Africa seems only to embrace South Africans. All others are tourists which of course are welcome but not for long. Once they have spent all their money, it is time to go home! But the refugees, down and out on their fortunes, etc. are not considered or allowed to be Proudly South African! The very next day I was already able to identify positions where we could put them to good use! They welcome us in their countries, what's wrong with us?

With that said, what's wrong with us that we don't want to resolve our differences? If I hurt you I beg you to tell me so that we can get to the root cause and sift it out! I don't want you to walk around with a limp or chip on your shoulder and neither do I want to walk around with one! In fact, I believe God uses these to get our attention- to expose stuff in us that needs to come out! But it's only coming out when we choose to acknowledge it, repent and seek forgiveness! God is already longing to deliver us, we just need to get in touch with God!

Some friends of mine had a falling out years ago, then painstakingly it was patched up. Recently salt opened old wounds and the battle lines were drawn. They are family! Yet this one points at that one and says, "No, I can't be comfortable with what you did." And the other can't let go because he really didn't understand what it was all about to begin with! Why don't we want to be free? All it takes is humility and love! Yeah, I know those are huge prices, but the rewards far outweigh the costs! Try it, you'll like it!

My friend David used to say, "Get over it!" Oh, how that pushed my buttons! I thought in reply, "I would like to get over it, but you are part of what I need to get over!" Over the course of our friendship I have realized that that very phrase and that very friend were purposely put in my path to push those buttons that would force me to get real about my feelings, truthful then about communicating to one another and not allowing anything to come between our relationship. Wish I could say I was a perfect angel at it, but I wasn't. Today I am so grateful to David for all he has endured as a result of being the brunt of my baggage! Where is the Lord God of Elijah now? Well, if any of us are anything like Elisha and actually "see" Elijah, then we will receive that double portion promised! Otherwise one of our spiritual daughters had a teacher in school who used to say after not turning in homework: "Oh well hon, Zero!" And that's what you got for a grade that day, a big fat zero! It's also what we get when we don't fight for those relationships, fervently seeking out that which has come between us until it is dealt with and gone! Get Over It!!!!