Bridges

"Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing'......" -Luke 23:34

Forgiveness is like a bridge over turbulent water.  It allows you to cross safely to the other side.  The turbulent water remains, but for the kayakers in my photo who have chosen to try to negotiate the turbulence, the danger threatens.  This is what it is like for me when I do not forgive.  My emotions of anger soon overwhelm me and I drown in my unhappiness.  This is why they say forgiving someone is really for yourself.  When we forgive we are letting go of judgment and handing it over to God, who is their judge.  But He is also my judge.  To give harbor to anger is going against God's expressed will for me to not let the sun go down on my anger.  Righteous anger, however, is a different sort of anger.  It belongs to God.  It is the emotion that spurs us on to address injustice.  But even then, we are not to remain angry otherwise we are in danger of the turbulent water which can dash us against the rocks.

I am grateful that God has provided a bridge of forgiveness for me.  By forgiving and not judging I am freed to be an instrument of God's peace.