I Forgive You

When I was in the ninth grade, there were two girls I considered to be my best friends. One weekend in December one of them spent the night at the other's house and they got into a conversation about me. They started discussing all the things I had ever done that bothered them, and decided to record it in a letter for me - along with the fact that they no longer wanted to call me "friend." It took them nine pages to list all their grievances, but they got 'em all in.
They presented the letter to me just after lunch, a few days before Christmas vacation. (I had already bought their Christmas presents. Think I threw them away that year.) Yeah, just after lunch - right before fourth hour, a class the three of us had together. I cried real hard in class.
Have you ever had your heart ripped out of your chest and stomped on in front of 20-some other kids? That's kind of how I felt that day. I had no idea a fourteen year old girl could hurt that much.

Oh, I was hurting.

During the rest of my high school years, those two girls and I were civil toward one another, but I never forgot the pain.

Then I came to a day - years and years later - when God led me to forgive those girls for the way they hurt me.
We were kids when it happened.
As an adult I understood their behavior was childish. Though it tore me apart at the time, as an adult I could see it wasn't a pain worth holding in my heart. (Really, is ANY pain worth holding???)
And so I forgave them. It was over. I wasn't going to hold them responsible for my heart ache any longer.
I forgave them, and Jesus healed my heart.

Fast forward to this past Saturday night, and my 20-year high school class reunion. At first I saw her across the room, and a few minutes later she was walking right up to me. With a great big smile on her face.
We hugged and said, "Hello," and then Julie told me she needed to talk to me. She said for years she has felt terrible about that letter, and when she heard I was going to be at the reunion she knew she needed to apologize for it. I hugged Julie again and told her that I had already forgiven her. Told her God had led me through it years ago.
But it was so good to be able to say, I forgive you, right to her - face-to-face and in person. It feels complete. Both of us know now. And I like it this way.

Went to a reunion, wound up at a reconciliation.

God is good, friends. God is good!