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"For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." John 1:16

The woman talked about one of life's biggest betrayals. Her husband was intimate with another woman. The emotions and storm this woman faced were unimaginable. She could have stayed bitter. She could have destroyed him with her words. But she didn't.

Grace upon grace.

Instead of slandering his name, she decided to look internally. She made the choice to seek God and what He needed to teach her during this time. And when she got really angry or felt an unimaginable hurt, she screamed, owned the feeling, and prayed. She would be walking the aisles at Target and scream at the can of beans about how much rage she was feeling. And then she prayed. She did this over and over again. It was a full-time job.

What she found through this experience was freedom and that she had a lot to learn. She found that by forgiving her husband when he didn't deserve it, when he was still lying and deceiving, she finally saw Jesus and the sacrifice He made for her.

You see, Jesus died for us when we didn't deserve it. He knew what he was getting into and did it anyway. He knew we'd deny him, deceive, lie. Yet, he sacrificed himself anyway. And in return, we gained life. This doesn't mean our life no longer has troubles or suffering. What it does mean is that we have eternal life with our Savior. And, if we gain nothing else, that is more than enough.

This woman was able to forgive her undeserving husband because she fully understood the sacrifice that was made for her. Through her forgiveness, she found freedom.

It seems so easy for us to hold onto animosity or hold a grudge. This world tells us we have every right to be angry when we are betrayed. Payback is part of the process not forgiveness. When the perpetrator is unrepentant, the world tells us they do not deserve forgiveness. And we stay in bondage.

I know many of us are stuck in the pain of a relationship that is in turmoil or ended without closure. Life is messy. People sin. Life is tough. I don't think we realize the freedom that lies within forgiveness; especially undeserved forgiveness.

A woman betrayed found freedom in the canned foods aisle. She screamed. She yelled. She gave. She was relentless in her grace because she knew she'd find freedom there. She was no longer bound by his sin. She was free.

Scream at some cans of beans today if you need to. They can take it.

Love & Blessings,
Meg

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