The Power of Forgiveness

Q: Can you really help a woman overcome her abusive past?

A: There are many parts to the process of recovering from abuse. But none is more important than the need to forgive the abuser. Without forgiving past hurts, we can continue to carry festering wounds that never heal. Until we can release the pain of past wrongs, we can never be freed from their power over us.

I believe this is why, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus connects our forgiveness from God with the forgiveness we give to others. Until we’re ready to try to forgive those who have sinned against us — even those who may have hurt us terribly — we cannot really accept the forgiveness God has to offer us. And until we find forgiveness in our hearts, we can never learn what it is to be loved and truly healed.

Many women on the streets of Seattle have endured terrible abuse — physical, emotional and sexual. Their lives have been shattered and they don’t know how to put them back together. Our goal here at the Mission is to provide all the help we can and walk with them on the path toward healing.

All of us have suffered wrongs — wrongs which we need to forgive. And, with God’s help, we can learn to identify those hurts, forgive them, and so fully receive the healing God wants for us.