someone's gotta die

forgiveness has been a subversive issue in my life. and when i stumble over something continuously i like to study it. read it. research it. understand everything there is to know about it until i have conquered it. so needless to say, you may be reading a lot about forgiveness on the ol blog over the next few months.

one of the most powerful things i have discovered about forgiveness is that someone's gotta die. someone's gotta give in, give up & let go.

the best model of this is Christ hanging in all His innocence on the horrible, despicable, humiliating cross for all the wickedness of the world. and then He said, with sheer pain coursing through His veins, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". and then He gave over His life, gave up His rights, & died.  but as we know, He didn't stay dead. He was resurrected & is enthroned in the highest of heaven now.

it's a perfect picture of what happens when we choose the hard road of forgiveness. no wonder my flesh screams at the thought of forgiveness. we die to ourselves. die to our outraged emotions. to our own right to be right. we lay down our own power & control in the situation. and we die.
and yet i cannot say that i have experienced anything so liberating in my life than to truly forgive. never have i felt so uplifted. so strong. so empowered to give up my power. to lay myself, my pride, my own dignity down & then to be raised up with Him. there are no words for the beauty of this emotion.

it's a strange juxtaposition. a strange exchange that's difficult to articulate.
but more soon.