The Daily Devotion of Forgiveness

The Daily Devotion of Forgiveness My 10-year-old has been going through some rough times lately. Though she’s OK during the day, at bedtime her anxieties grow, and it’s hard for her to get to sleep. We talk, we pray, we practice relaxation exercises, we... More

The Daily Devotion of Forgiveness My 10-year-old has been going through some rough times lately. Though she’s OK during the day, at bedtime her anxieties grow, and it’s hard for her to get to sleep. We talk, we pray, we practice relaxation exercises, we snuggle. It’s a long process, night after night. But this morning Maggie came into the kitchen with a smile on her face. “Mom, I feel so good! I was lying in bed last night trying to sleep, and then I said the name of each person I don’t like and asked God to help me forgive them just for today. And my bad feelings were wiped away, like words from a whiteboard!” I smiled widely—and gaped inwardly. Because although I’ve sometimes struggled with forgiving others, it’s never occurred to me to approach the matter with a manna-like attitude, one day at a time. I tend to assume I have to forgive offenses in all their depth, all at once. But sometimes my heart can’t see all the ways forgiveness is needed. Sometimes the next layer of Less