When People Won’t Forgive . . . .

I  recently had an evening meal with two men who had opened their lives to Christ while in prison. The younger of the two had been somewhat discouraged by the fact that the family from whom he had stolen would not forgive him.

"My crime was violent," the older of the two men said. "It continues to haunt the family to this day. They have not forgiven me, . . . the pain was just too much. At first, I found myself paralyzed by this longing for their forgiveness." He continued his story: "Then one day I came to realize that I  was adding selfishness to my own brokenness. It's a lot to expect the family to forgive me. I was somewhat focused on what I felt I needed to heal from my past. It took quite a while for me to realize that their forgiveness of me was a matter between them and God."