Lessons from Nicaragua

With the aid of an interpreter, her face showed harsh concentration as she told her story.

It was like she was digging deep into her memory pulling out the words that would share parts of her life.

Abandonment

Abuse

Grief

Rejection

Loneliness

These words and more seemed to echo in the space surrounding me as she spoke.

Then like a flick of a light switch her countenance changed.

She told of how she now forgave those that turned their backs on her, those that placed her in harm’s way and those that hurt her.

She said with a smile of confidence, “I have learned that God has forgiven me so how I can I not forgive those that hurt me?”

Oh the lessons I learned while in Nicaragua.  Although I had been through times in my life where the hurt was so deep, I was called to forgive and did, there are still times when there is hurt and I am slow to forgive. 

May I learn that all levels of hurt deserve forgiveness not just the deepest ones. May others see a confident smile that comes along with forgiving like I saw in a hot sticky village in Nicaragua.