Debbie W. Wilson

Refreshing Faith

When You Have to Forgive Again

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I merrily pumped our backyard seesaw oblivious to any hazard. My small foot slipped, and the rusty edge of the pedal carved a long, jagged gouge across my right ankle. Pain seared through me like a lightning bolt. I didn’t think it could get worse—until my mother appeared with soap, water, and a bottle of red mercurochrome.

The first cleaning was the worst. But my wound continued to weep after it was bandaged. This wound had to be cleaned over and over again.

In our forgiveness series, we’re spelling Freedom. The O in FREEDOM stands for Over and Over.

Forgiveness Cleans Our Wounds

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Have You Counted the Cost of Not Forgiving?

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“Fair is what comes to the state fairgrounds once a year,” a friend’s divorce attorney said. Many things in life don’t seem fair. And forgiveness is one of them.

If you forgive the person who owes you $30,000, money won’t magically appear to replace what’s lost. They spent your money, and you go without. That’s not fair.

If someone maligns your reputation, steals your business, your innocence, or your spouse, forgiving won’t restore these losses. That’s not fair. They did wrong, and you pay the price.

Some consequences can’t be retracted even if the perpetrator wants to undo what happened. So how do we satisfy our sense of justice and forgive when the wrong cost us so much?Continue Reading

What Frodo Teaches Us about Forgiveness

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The Holiday season often brings unexpected pain. We’re left out of gatherings we used to be a part of, or we have to join ones that include people who’ve wronged us. If this season has stirred some hurtful emotions, I hope this post I’m bringing back will help.

By: Jose Maria Miñarro Vivancos

Some people have no conscience. The woman who stole your husband parades around the family reunion showing off your grandchild! The man who stabbed you in the back preaches unity and love to your team. They wronged you. Now they pour acid in your wound and dare you to flinch.

How do we handle such injuries? Some biblical wisdom and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings have helped me.Continue Reading

How to Protect Your Sight

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Samson hung his head. It had taken blindness and captivity to open his spiritual eyes. He grimaced when he remembered how his mother’s eyes shone every time she told the story of the angel’s visit predicting his birth. “The Lord Himself has chosen you to be His special servant to rescue Israel from the Philistines,” she said.

How much do you value your vision? Is it worth guarding?

I thought of Samson while reading 1 John recently. God anointed Samson with supernatural strength to deliver Israel (Judges 13:1-15:20). But Samson squandered his gift on vengeance and pleasure. His choices led to blindness and slavery. 1 John warns that hatred blinds the one who hates.

A Gruesome Example

Samson fell in love with a Philistine named Delilah. Delilah manipulated Samson into revealing the secret of his strength. She then sold him to Philistine lords who bound him and gouged out his eyes. Imprisoned Samson was forced to grind grain for his enemy.

Having witnessed a cat lose an eye, I can imagine blind Samson. His empty eye sockets provide a jarring picture of the consequences of sin.Continue Reading

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