Writing Under the Influence

This October, I attended a women’s conference at my church and one of the sessions dealt with forgiveness and God’s grace. During that session, we talked about how God desires to forgive us and give us a fresh start once we confess. The discussion then moved on to how we should extend that same grace to others. Then, the leader walked over to a folding chair and sat it down in front of the podium. “Think about the person or persons who have offended you and place them in this chair,” she said. “After you have thought about it for a moment, I want you to forgive them. Say it and forgive them with your whole heart.”

As I sat in my seat processing the task given to me, I suddenly had a problem. Images of all the possible candidates for that seat flashed through my mind one by one. Former schoolmates from the days when I was bullied, previous employers, family members, past love interests…but no one seemed to click for me. “I’ve already forgiven them,” I thought. Suddenly, it became very clear who really needed to take that seat.That person was ME.  Read More