Some experiences create memories that last a lifetime. Given the right stimulus, these memories come to the surface with such vividness, it seems as if they happened yesterday. A middle-aged man related a story that forever influenced how he perceived his father.
When he was about four-years-old, he accompanied his father to check out a boat tied up on the riverbank. This required walking across a pasture. Coming home, he begged his father to carry him but his plea was rejected. It’s impossible to know why his father would not carry him, but that event still creates feelings of grief and rejection.
Sadness hidden away in our memory may surface as anger directed toward others and God. Bad things happen to us, but God’s purpose isn’t to punish unsuspecting people. For those receptive to his kindness, God provides an antidote for hurt and anger – defined as forgiveness based on his grace, mercy, and comfort.
___________
…for it is God who works in you to will and to act
according to his good purpose.
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