Day 8

Things are looking up right now. I can't really give any reason except that God's mercies are new every morning. That, and I started to get caught up on my sleep this weekend. Both of these things put together bring ample opportunity to be refreshed. I even saw Husband this morning when I picked up the kids, and I was able to look him in the eye for a few seconds. That means we're making progress! I say "we" because I would not be doing any of this without the amazing support system I have in each of you. Those of you who are praying, please stay on your knees. Those of you who are encouraging the rest of us with scripture through your comments, please stay immersed in the word. And those of you who have committed to taking this 40 day journey toward forgiveness in your own lives, please keep your mind open and your hearts prepared. I know God has great things in store for us. This brings me to today's lesson.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE
I think it's interesting how many times I've heard this saying as a way to motivate people to stay focused on the reward they have in store for them. Maybe NBA coaches make this the motto for their team to point them toward the championship trophy, title, paychecks, etc. Maybe
the American Idol contestants waltz on to that stage week after week thinking about the record deal they've been wanting since childhood. I can say from experience that a woman who is exhausted and stretched to her physical and emotional limits will keep pushing through the pain in order to see the sweet angel face of her child for the first time. Knowing what we're working toward makes all the difference in the moments when the process seems impossible.

So- what am I striving for with this forgiveness project? Though I feel sure that there will be many positive results in my life after I complete this process, my main goal is simple. Freedom. A friend of mine shared this quote with me today, and it inspired my bible study and prayer this afternoon.

“Freedom is what you do with what has been done to you”- Jean Paul Sartre
-Did that hit you right in the face like it did to me? I feel like we sometimes mistake the idea of freedom as meaning that our lives should be free of trials, free of stress, or free of pain. Someday, when we get to our real home and meet our Lord face to face, freedom will mean all those things, and more. But as long as we live on this earth, that is not the definition of the word. Does this mean we are bound to the hurt we experience forever, and that the sins we sometimes commit in response to that hurt is unavoidable. NO. Let me show you what the Bible has to say about the freedom that is available to every believer.

I love Isaiah 1:1-4. Read it to yourself before going on. In part of vs. 1, Isaiah says,
"He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts are broken, to tell the captives they are free, and to tell the prisoners they are released."
--These verses illustrate the prize that we will gain as we follow God's instruction. He can heal us. He can free us, and He will.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
-- I must have heard this verse 100 times before. Does that first line make is sound like Paul may have been employed by the Department of Redundancy Department? I always thought so. Of course Christ set us free so we could have freedom. Isn't that obvious? It's only in reading the rest of the verse that it begins to make sense to me.
-- Jesus allowed Himself to suffer a tortuous death on the cross in order that we may be free from the price of our sins. Because that price, as outlined in scripture, is death. And an eternity in hell. How sad is it when He sees us accept that gift of eternal freedom from the consequence of our sins, just to watch us turn around and chain ourselves to things like regret, and anger, and hopelessness here on earth. Part of the freedom Jesus offers us is that of abundant life on earth, and that life cannot be lived by slaves. We serve a mighty God, and the more we seek to follow His will, the more freedom we gain. So the next time I face a difficult memory, or a possible panic attack, I plan to refocus on my prize of freedom. Today I am one step closer.