Forgiving

Rarely do you hear stories of forgiveness and grace in action, but today I did.

One of my best friends was put in the position of having to decide, quite literally, the fate of a man.  And she erred on the side of what she hopes Christ will do for her when she is standing in front of Him in Heaven, longing for grace and mercy and love.

Seems downtown Dallas has, once again, become a hotbed for those who are disadvantaged.  Earlier this week, my friend was working downtown and a gentleman, who just was released from jail, was among those prowling the city, near to the place my friend works.  He was, apparently, testing car doors to find one open.  Not looking to break a window or jimmy a lock, just looking for an opportunity created by carelessness. And, as luck would have it (or, in my mind, God would orchestrate), my friend had run down to her car to pull something out and forgotten to lock the doors.

That's when God and opportunity came together, with my friend squarely in the center.

When the police officer entered the building looking for someone owning a car of the same make and model as my friend's, she was understandably sick.  Upon exiting the building, she saw a handcuffed man and some of the contents of her car, very practical items her husband had given her for emergency use.  When the officer asked her if she could identify the items as hers, my friend responded affirmatively.

That's when this whole thing turned on a dime.  The officer proceeded to ask my friend to step away from the handcuffed man and told her the following:  this man was just released from jail and is trying to get back to out-of-town family.  Given that we know he stole from you, the officer continued, you have to decide if you are going to have me arrest him or not.

GULP.

She knew exactly what to do in that moment, as if God was directing this little drama from the curb.  She asked the officer to join her and the gentleman and she told him she was going to let him go, but with one condition.

That was when he started in on the excuses.  But my friend cut him off.   She didn't want to hear any of it, she just wanted to pray over him.  And, could she put her hand on his shoulder?

Of course, he responded.  He was a Jesus-fearing man, after all.

And when the words started coming out of her mouth, the blessings on him for employment and support of family and a life of honesty and no more stealing, she said they weren't her own.  They just flowed out of her effortlessly.

And then she forgave him.

And the officer said "Whoa."

And the suspect started to cry.

And THAT, people, was JESUS working through my dear friend.

Yes, that one little act of kindness impacted three people for the rest of their lives.

My friend was Jesus to a man who probably didn't deserve it, but who was given a second chance AND a blessing, all at once. 

She showed grace in the face of sin to an officer who probably expected negativity, anger, and a spirit of revenge, but who saw goodness in action.

And my friend is a forever changed woman.  She knows the power of prayer flowing THROUGH her.  She knows of the Holy Spirit speaking words that poured out of her mouth.  She extended grace and forgiveness and mercy and can now speak of those firsthand.

I am beyond words for this story.  I am in awe.

And, I am impacted by her story in a way that makes me incredibly thankful for my Christ, who knows of what He speaks when he says "Forgive them Father."

If life boils down to one thing, this is it:  forgiveness produces love.  It is immensely powerful.  It is the ultimate witness to Christ.  It is the best we have to give.

Bless you, friend.  You did an awesome thing this week.  What a privilege it is to be your sister in Christ.