"One Word at a Time".
"Emotional Debris #2" by Maria Hoch
"Revenge is a confession of pain."~ Latin Proverb
Last Laugh of Revenge
Remember me?
You hurt me.
I gave you the power to hurt me because I trusted you with my affection and love—because I accepted such from you.
We were once close. We thought it would always be so.
Then you turned away. To cut off relationship is to cut off life and leave behind raw wounds. The wound does not heal without a tender scar.
Such painful scars birth desire for revenge. The Bible is a deep well of knowledge, instructing how to exact revenge—to heap heavenly coals of fire upon your head—and that is what I intend to do.
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.
Proverbs 25:21-22
You no longer accept the bread and drink of my fellowship when it is offered. So I instead give them to God, praying that He give unto you on my behalf, in whatever manner He sees fit.
Your power to hurt me is also power to heal me, held in the might of love given you from God Himself. If you chose to use it, you could perform miraculous healing of the ache in my soul.
"But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you."
~ Matthew 5:44 (NCV)
I likewise hold miraculous power, contained in the might of forgiveness. I freely give it, even if it means nothing to you. I ask it for you from God. Forgiveness means I cannot call you enemy, for I know my true Enemy. Forgiveness is liberty and power of life—the key to freedom from a prison of bitterness which steals life away.
Without forgiveness we cannot know love. We need life and liberty and love more than we need the very air we breathe.
In forgiveness you remain dear to me. In asking God to bless you, I vanquish Evil, even if you do not yet share the joy of conquest. Forgiveness from God ensures that you and I will one day look back from Heaven at this time, and we will share a good laugh.
In forgiveness I lay hold of divine revenge against my Enemy and live with anticipation of that last laugh.
"There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness."
~ Josh Billings
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Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
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Forgiveness is a powerful thing, Anne. Good post.
ReplyDeleteForgiveness will bring you both laughter one day: the laughter of joy.
ReplyDeleteYes! What power we have in forgiveness. Forgiveness allows us to laugh at the enemy. It brings laughter and joy from bitterness and pain. It restores hope and life. I am so grateful I have a relationship with Jesus and have experienced the power of forgiveness and the healing that comes when we choose to forgive.
ReplyDeletewow... this left me speechless... can I use it to make video about forgiveness?... it will be clear that this is your work...
ReplyDeleteI had some friends who hurt me earlier in my life and as much as I tried to stay angry with them, I couldn't stop the loving feelings that just kept coming. I know that was God stirring in me. Still is.
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
...powerful and challenging post.
ReplyDeleteWow, beyond awesome sis. Forgiveness is the key to unlocking bitterness, pain, and hurting hearts. I love and appreciate you.
ReplyDeleteA very powerful thought, Anne. Forgiveness heaps revenge on the enemy we should be focused on. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities in high places. Forgiveness keeps us rightly focused on our God and our true enemy. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGlynn ~
ReplyDeleteWe so often emphasize the power of love. But love is hindered where forgiveness is lacking. Forgiveness empowers love and so much more.
Helen ~
ReplyDeleteThis piece was written because of estrangement which hurts my heart. I have hope for the day of joy. Without forgiveness, I could not hold such hope.
Deb ~
ReplyDeleteI rejoice with you that you know this power of healing in forgiveness. I rejoice that we share the divine forgiveness which makes us sisters. : )
Natasa ~
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful that God spoke to you powerfully through this. I hope He'll enable you to use it for others. I'll email with more.
Wendy ~
ReplyDeleteI love the gentle compulsion the Holy Spirit uses to overcome us when we resist. He never needs to use force when He is so persuasive and loving.
And I'm smiling quite broadly right now.
Bud ~
ReplyDeleteI take it you've thought some on forgiveness and have come to appreciate its grab on a person.
"Now go and do likewise ..."
♥
I thought of this very thing this morning. I was hurt and made sure to have the 'last laugh' years ago. I dearly regret that. So much so that I was thinking about it in the car this morning. We must be on the same wave length. *always*
ReplyDeleteDenise ~
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be awesome if all the energy wasted on revenge was turned toward offering forgiveness?
Jason ~
ReplyDeleteWhen I work with children filled with ... energy, I make it a point to not squelch their energy, but redirect it.
Same with the desire for revenge. It generates good energy that can do much good if properly channelled.
T ~
ReplyDeleteI was convicted to write this post not because I had actively sought revenge, but because I thought the easiest way to handle hurt feelings is to quit thinking about a person who has dropped out of my life.
But come prayer time, that name nagged at me. I was inclined to cross it off my prayer list. I came to see that action as another form of revenge—and realized the need to repent. I think true repentance is to do more than cease from what is wrong, but to turn and do what is right. In my case, it meant more than ceasing from reluctance to pray, but to actively ask for God to bless.
God has given me a painfully low tolerance for estrangement. It bothers me to I know I've offended someone, or that we're not at peace with each other. I actively work for restoration. I could count on one hand the number of people in my life who I might consider estranged from me. There is an ache in my soul for each one, far beyond whatever offense they might have caused me.
Thanks for sharing this. I do not like to have estranged relationships either. Truthfully there are days I am completely tired of trying. Sometimes it seems that others create more estranged relationships for you than you do yourself. I am not sure how to overcome this except summit it to the Lord and ask Him to fill me with His love for everyone. ~ And time goes by.
ReplyDeleteIn forgiveness there is fullness of joy indeed. ThANk yolu for a reminder that I'm sure we all need at one time or another!
ReplyDeleteForgiveness is one reminder that we need more of God's love and grace. It's a human condition that no amount of money, power of fame can help us do any better. What a very rich post, Anne! :)
ReplyDeleteI love that quote! Forgiveness is such a struggle, but I do love the thought of looking back from Heaven with joy and laughter one day. Thanks, Anne.
ReplyDeleteForgiveness is the willingness to bear the pain.
ReplyDeleteI heard that definition once and never forgot it.
But that loving and blessing, especially for a certain someone--comes a lot harder.
Powerful quote.
Patty ~
ReplyDeleteMy agony over estrangement is a burden to pray for whomever the individual is. I freely admit how tiring that can be. But I've found that in continuing to pray, the Lord not only heals my agony, but He gives me a perspective that enables me to bear the agony that can only be healed by that other person.
There really is a day coming when all will be put to right. We will have such joy in God to no longer agonize over those estranged from Him. Better yet will be all those who are His, with whom we'll enjoy full reconciliation.
I cling to these thoughts ... as time goes by ...
Karin ~
ReplyDeleteThe power of forgiveness to obtain peace and joy cannot be underestimated. And yes, we need one another. No one is expendable.
Bonnie ~
ReplyDeleteSo glad to have you comment. So true that God's love and grace enable it far beyond anything of this world.
Bridget ~
ReplyDeleteThe quotes were last minute additions to this post, which I wrote for the carnival a couple of weeks ago. When I saw "laughter" as the theme, it seemed I knew immediately where my laughter needed to lie.
Snady ~
ReplyDeleteI thought I knew how to forgive until someone challenged me that it is incomplete if we're able to bless a person and ask God to bless them. It's a very high standard—most difficult. But it has become the benchmark by which I know if I really have forgiven. I wish I rose to it without fail.
Anne - this is something God's been speaking to me about this week. I thought that I'd forgiven someone for hurting me, but really I've just buried my bitterness under self-righteousness and pride. Thank you for this reminder that am to pray for this person and that they are not my enemy.
ReplyDeleteMelissa ~
ReplyDeleteThe older I get, the deeper the hurts seem to be, the greater the temptation to give way to bitterness. I understand the bitterness and self-righteousness and pride. I understand the raw hurt and wounds.
I'm asking God to complete the work He's begun of setting you free of them. Forgiveness doesn't put an end to the pain. It does put an end to the self-bondage of bitterness.
Fantastic post! I have been in that place more times than I would like to count and in some ways am only just now finding my way to back to forgiveness. thank you for sharing that with us.
ReplyDeleteApril ~
ReplyDeleteAs many opportunities as life offers for us to forgive others, it's far less than the forgiveness we've received. Being a debtor to grace helps me remember that when I'm struggling.
Thanks for stopping by!