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We listened to old Bible verse cassettes in our van as my husband and I traveled between cities with our kids. The catchy songs of verses put to music would not let up in my head. Especially Luke 6:27-28, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
It was a good verse to teach the kids. As I sang it with my girls, I imagined using the verse to walk them through forgiving petty arguments at the playground and learning to bless one another. I did not anticipate putting it into practice with harder things.
One season, we traveled to another city with the intention to housesit in our friends’ flat for a few months and encourage the local believers in their fellowship while our friends were on home assignment. By the end of the first weekend in our friend’s apartment, the landlords came and informed us that we were not welcome to stay in their building (despite previously agreeing).
We packed up the van and went back home, wondering what to do. On the drive, we first had to explain to the kids what had just happened – that we were no longer welcome to stay. “Mama, why can’t we stay?” “Well, we don’t exactly know. But it hurts our feelings when people reject us and don’t keep their promises.” We quieted down for a few miles. I was still reeling from the news and ready to just shake the dust from my feet. My husband was lost in his own thoughts of anger and defiance.
A little voice from the back seat broke into our thoughts, “We need to pray for them.”
“Huh?”
“Because that’s what Jesus says to do. You know. In the song.”
She was right. More than figuring out our next steps, and more than we needed to shake dust from our feet, we needed to pray for the landlords, forgive them, and bless them and their community. For the good of the landlords, for the good of our kids, and for our own hearts, we needed to listen to the Word of God and forgive.
It wouldn’t be the last time God would use those Bible verse songs and the mouths of my children to teach me.
Unforgiveness and resentment is something that can so easily creep up on us – that we can carry for a long time without realizing it. How do you make sure that you are walking in forgiveness?
I do my best to forgive as things happen. But I have noticed when my temper flares up or when it is especially hard to interact with one person or another, that I perhaps have not forgiven. Every few months, I try to pause and take stock of injuries that I have felt, sins that I need to repent of, people I need to forgive. (Not that I only forgive once every few months, but this is built in so that I remember to examine my heart.)