Thank YOU, dear Debbie, for your great courage and for showing others the way to forgiveness! The wrong done to you was absolutely a horrendous thing, yet with your Lord and HIS Holy Spirit..A miracle unfolded. This example will help others who think they can’t forgive. I, for one, am just blown away by this mighty testimony. And being in tune (and obedient) to the Holy Spirit brought this miracle in your life (and the person who did the harm) about. God Bless you. And, Hallelujah for God’s might power revealed through a yielded life!! Anyone who thinks they “can’t” forgive will think again after reading your powerful sharing.(((((((Debbie)))))))

One day the Holy Spirit was speaking to me as I drove around and was singing and praising God. I said something that had to do with being so grateful that Jesus had forgiven me and changed my life. Very clearly the Holy Spirit said, “You have to forgive him. And to do this, you are going to tell him that you love him, you have forgiven him, and that Jesus Christ has forgiven him too.” I can remember chuckling saying in all the comfort of knowing that with our finances it would be awhile before I saw him I boldly said, “You set it up and I’ll say it.”

You got it. At Christmas 3 months later, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table with this person having been snowed in an extra day and I felt the preverbial tap on my shoulder and a reminder of my promise that if He’d set it up, I’d say it.” I did a double take and went, “Oh yeah, I did say that. I don’t know if I am capable of carrying through. If you want that said, you’re going to have to just let the words flow out of my mouth somehow.

About 2-3 seconds later, this person looked me bold faced in the eye and asked me how I was doing. How I was really doing. He said that he had worried about me for a long time because he hurt me so bad a long time ago. Before I realized it I said, ” person’s name, I am doing fine. In fact, I’m doing great. I have forgiven you. Jesus Christ has forgiven you. You have to forgive yourself and then get up and quit feeling sorry for yourself and get on with your life.” About 1/2 way through I was stunned the words were flowing out of my mouth.

I looked up and this man broke down, hung his head and cried like a baby saying he didn’t know if Jesus could ever forgive him. But, I could literally see this ball of shame, a HUGE ball of shame roll up and off his back and crash to the floor disappearing immediately. That man, got up, went filled out a job application (very first my mom hadn’t filled out for him since they were married), got a job collecting debt and repossessing cars (a man who had been intimidated by the very thought of working) successfully I might add. He started back to church and joined a men’s prayer group.

I know this is long and I apologize, but I really feel the Spirit leading me to tell you the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey would say. So, 2 years later at Christmas, I found myself leaving my abusive husband and taking my son with me to a shelter. I had called my mom before I left my job and explained what was going on. She told me to be sure I called when we got somewhere safe. It was about 6 hours later that we got settled & I remembered to call. This man was sitting on the phone. He must have been. It only rang 1/2 a ring before he picked it up. He was crying and over the next year my husband & I were separated while God put our family back together again, that man became my source of strength and encouragement. His prayer group adopted my son & I in prayer daily. He helped me get through that next year which included 3-4 hospitalization of my son, who has emotional behavioral issues and wasn’t dealing with the separation well at all.

I shutter to think what I would have done had I not had the heart to forgive this man as the Holy Spirit asked me to do. Some days he was the only thing on this earth that was a comfort to me. To this day, we have a bond that is like no other I have ever experienced with anyone else. Some days that bond is so strong my mom gets irritated by it cause I can get through to him when no one else can. It is a Holy Spirit thing.

May God Bless the reading of this testimony and share it with the eyes and ears that need it. May God work as powerfully in your lives as He has in mine. I am stunned everytime I tell this story. In Jesus POWERFUL Name, AMEN!

I have to remember this statement, as told by my good friend; “If he brings you to it, he will bring you through it”. Yes, Fran do beleive what you mentioned in your post that with his Holy Spirit in control and by obeying his Nudgings? The results will always be better than our common sense.

My common sense always tells me “You know that Person is not going to hear what you have to say, and you’ll get cussed out, just look at them their angry at the world, you must like abuse, but the spirit always tell me, “THere’s more than what you are seeing on the surface, speak to that person, encourage them, and smile.

Where ever I am , I must take God with me and hear his voice and obey his Holy Spirit when reaching out to others. Thank you Lord!