Four Stories of Forgiveness in Seemingly Impossible Situations - Part Two

FORGIVENESS: HOW DO I WORK AT FORGIVING MYSELF AND OTHERS?

Forgiveness is hard work. So many emotions and desires pull at our heart when it comes to extending forgiveness - one them is the desire for justice. That makes total sense because we are "wired" for justice. God wired us to desire all that is good, true, beautiful. Every person, thus, desires justice to be served in unjust situations. How many times do we hear our children cry at very early ages, “But, Mom/Dad, that’s not fair!”? And—be honest—how many times do we catch ourselves thinking the same thing (God, this isn't fair) when we are faced with situations that go against our hopes, dreams or expectations. Any unmet desire, no matter how good, will usually result in some level of frustration, anger, and if unfulfilled long enough, it could lead to the sin of bitter resentment. That is why forgiveness is so important!

The good news is that we are not alone in this struggle to forgive others. God is right there with us!

I will be sharing four stories of people who have extended or received forgiveness in seemingly impossible situations. The last two will be included in this article:

THIRD STORY:

Many times we find it hard to forgive ourselves because of the pain and suffering that our sins and bad actions have caused others! One of the beautiful benefits of being Catholic is the sacrament of Reconciliation and the gift of penance. In a mysterious way, not only do we receive grace and healing when we receive this sacrament & follow it with acts of penance,, but so do the people we have hurt by our sins. Sometimes God allows us to get a glimpse of this like in the following testimony:

“When I lived in Dallas I attended a parish mission that forever changed my view of the sacrament of reconciliation. The priest wanted us to understand the far reaching effects of this sacrament as a channel of healing not only for ourselves but also for those people we have hurt by our sins. So he shared a story of man who had been drinking pretty heavily one night and had come very close to hurting his 3 year old daughter. The next day he had so much remorse that he became very fearful of himself and as a result he began to distance himself from her. His daughter had no idea what he had stopped short of doing to her but she began to suffer from the growing distance in their relationship. Over time their relationship was so bad that when she was 18 she left home and told him she would never see or talk to him again. About 10 years later this man could not take the guilt any longer. Although he had said he was sorry to God he never brought this sin to the sacrament of Reconciliation. After 25 years he finally went to confession and received absolution for this sin. Well, it didn’t take long for God to work. That night when he returned home his daughter, whom he hadn't talked to for ten years, called him and they reconciled.”

Learn more about this Sacrament of Reconciliation here and here. 

FOURTH STORY:

Amish Grace & Forgiveness

Amish Girls Shot in an Amish School

Following the tragic Amish school shooting of 10 young schoolgirls in a one-room Amish school in October 2006, reporters from throughout the world invaded Lancaster County, PA to cover the story. (You can read the full story of the Amish school shooting here.) However, in the hours and days following the shooting a different, an unexpected story developed.

Amish Forgiveness in Response to School Shooting

In the midst of their grief over this shocking loss, the Amish community didn’t cast blame, they didn’t point fingers, they didn’t hold a press conference with attorneys at their sides. Instead, they reached out with grace and compassion toward the killer’s family.

The afternoon of the shooting an Amish grandfather of one of the girls who was killed expressed forgiveness toward the killer, Charles Roberts. That same day Amish neighbors visited the Roberts family to comfort them in their sorrow and pain.

Later that week the Roberts family was invited to the funeral of one of the Amish girls who had been killed. And Amish mourners outnumbered the non-Amish at Charles Roberts’ funeral.

It’s ironic that the killer was tormented for nine years by the pre-mature death of his young daughter. He never forgave God for her death. Yet, after he cold-bloodedly shot 10 innocent Amish school girls, the Amish almost immediately forgave him and showed compassion toward his family.

In a world at war and in a society that often points fingers and blames others, this reaction was unheard of. Many reporters and interested followers of the story asked, “How could they forgive such a terrible, unprovoked act of violence against innocent lives?”

What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness?

The Amish culture closely follows the teachings of Jesus, who taught his followers to forgive one another, to place the needs of others before themselves, and to rest in the knowledge that God is still in control and can bring good out of any situation. Love and compassion toward others is to be life’s theme. Vengeance and revenge is to be left to God.

Read through some oF passages regarding Biblical forgiveness and love toward others and you’ll better understand how the Amish were able to forgive.

All of Lancaster County mourns the loss of these young girls and the terrible affect this has had on so many lives. We request your prayers for the families of the children who died, as well as those children and adults who have lived through this terrible ordeal. We also ask your prayers for the wife and three young children of the man who committed this senseless act. They, too, will have to live with this for the rest of their lives.

Read My Son Shot 10 Amish Girls In a Pennsylvania Schoolhouse here

Read Why the Amish forgive so quickly here

Watch a great video from Session 3 of the ALPHA Course: Why Did Jesus Die? It is full of very moving testimonies about the power of forgiveness. Enjoy!

Read the first two stories in Part One here.