Destiny Connect had an article relating to forgiving our family members and the lessons we can draw from knowing and belonging to our individual families. One piece of advice struck a chord…it said for me thank all my relations for the gifts they have given me, “even if their gift was teaching me what NOT to do”. This is so relevant to my life right now as I have found myself related to “mischievous and adventurous characters”. As human beings, I know we are capable of anything (good and great) and the possibility of being murderous, thieving, vengeful, depressive, violent, envious, adulterous are especially heightened when they are in your bloodline. Nevermind Adam and Eve, look at your own immediate family, the sisters, brothers, first cousins, mothers, fathers! Even if you cut these people out, their blood, as the article says, runs through your veins too.
That behaviour/partialty to such courses of action only need time/certain circumstances to manifest and you find yourself unleashing this behaviour which you think is out of character but ALAS, it is not. So you find yourself being krez, promiscuous, stealing, depressed, resorting to alcoholism/other addictive tendencies and you don’t know Who in the world you are. And some stuff you enjoy so much and others, you wake up and regret so much. Forgive Yourself. You are your first relation. What you have been through is a gift to yourself. Now you know what not to do. You know better. You ought to behave better. Don’t lay it on your ancestors and play the blame game though because since Jesus, your no longer bound by the past. You can break the chain and live an abundant and righteous life. Battles…Yes, you will face beaucoup but you now have Victory through your Saviour.
The issue of the observers arises, those who were in your presence, in the midst of your ‘krezness’, the victims, friends and foes….well you can’t forgive on their behalf. Their unforgiveness is no longer your burden but restitution if at all possible may be your goal. You clearly can’t right every wrong, this is why you are not Jesus but you can ask Him to give you tools such as strength and courage to restore goodness into your life and theirs: For your sake and the multitudes. So these people may have been your uncles, aunts’ children, your brothers etc and they looked at you with shame, disappointment, confusion but did you see their FEAR at all? That moment when they suspected your actions to be contagious OR some venture into the abyss of disbelief.
No way would they do that! They wouldn’t cheat on their husbands, they wouldn’t throw a baby away, they couldn’t kill a person! Long Drones fill the room wherever you go. I beg-o Speak from your experience. If you want to find a way from the hole or the corner where they put you in. Speak..You are an ambassador of your own lifestory and your story could be a saviour in theirs. Teach Us, teach Them how to avoid the HoLe! How to recognize it! Your actions have spoken, yes, but that’s not all you got. Never underestimate the power of your experiences! Ode to Paul! Ode to Mary Magda!
Dear Cousin, you are a gift and I thank you for living and showing me what I must not do. Because of you, I know the repercussions of some actions. I now know that my family will stand with me through anything and bail me out of any problems. I know that there is no disappointment that will crowd out LoVe. I know what spirit to pray against and I am more aware of the Garments of praise and prayer that I am sometimes reluctant to wear; and weapons from the Word I should use so I am not an easy target for sin. You are my family, I have learnt that I will fight for you, I will fight my own body if it refuses to have compassion for you. I will fight my intelligence if it reasons against you. I will fight my own heart if it refuses to ForgiVe you. I love you. I Thank you. I forgive you.
My own disobedience is no less than yours. I am not exempt from this, there are things in my nature and I have to guard against them. If I harbour them, they will eat me up and ruin my life and be fatefully passed on to the next generation and they won’t know what hit them. I want to let you know what I and you are capable of, because it is the same blood that runs through these veins. I am prepared to speak about them if you would like to learn. There is no well so deep that God cannot lift you from, only really bad excuses! Thank God for the Blood of the Lamb that is sprinkled on us that we may be washed cleaner than clean and covers a multitude of sins...the dormant ones, the current, the sequels, the repeats, and the feature films.
So Ask me FaM if you would like..I will Speak! Give your Family/youRSelf opportunities to wrestle their demons in the Light too. when you battle your sin in darkness, you will lose for this is where sin thrives. Fight in the Light! FaM Its okay for you to fight where we can see you, to be krez where we can see you, where we can pray for you and love you. DOn't shun your family away/HiDe YouRSelf, Don't stone FaM outside the city walls (by gossipping/demeaning them/further murdering their characters and Don'T do it to YouRSelf either)...for Him without sin never cast a stone. Be patient with yourself. Don't be rash to decide which side of the fence you are on. Lend an ear, Extend a hand and Reserve judgement for Him who has the right please. And hold on to faith, for from ashes, the Phoenix rises AnD from death Lazarus and Jesus came. Raised by God.
For yours, mine and all our sakes....
A2A
