“For me to move forward, for me to see beyond this current darkness, is between me and the Lord. I don’t need to wait on others to do anything. . . . I simply must obey whatever God is asking of me right now. God has given me a new way to walk. And God has given me a new way to see. It’s forgiveness. And it’s beautiful.”- Lysa TerKeurst
“[Jesus] told him, ‘Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam’ (Siloam means ‘sent’). So the man went and washed and came back seeing.”- John 9:7 (NLT)
In Chapter 4 (“How is Forgiveness Even Possible When I Feel Like This?”) of Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, Lysa TerKeurst confesses she once felt so full of hurt feelings she wondered is she could drown in her own tears. As well as how to begin the work of forgiveness when not one ounce of her felt like forgiving.
Consequently, Lysa learned to separate her healing from her offender’s choices. Thus, her ability to heal totally depended solely on her choices. Not anyone else’s.
The book of John records only two healing miracles Jesus performed in Jerusalem. Those two miracles – the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5) and the healing of the blind man at the pool of Siloam (John 9). Most significantly, in both cases healing took place after both men chose to obey the Lord. Thus, neither man’s choice depended on anyone else’s actions. Because Jesus possessed compassion and power. And Jesus didn’t make healing contingent on others doing or owning anything.
In conclusion, Lysa speaks of her own healing process:
“I need to place my healing in the Lord’s hands. I need to focus on what I can do to step toward Him in obedience. And forgiveness is what He’s asking of me. I must separate my healing from others’ repentance or lack thereof. My ability to heal cannot be conditional on them wanting my forgiveness but only my willingness to give it. My healing is my choice.”
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you to see beyond the current darkness? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Holy instructions versus hurt feelings”
