Forgiving the unforgivable.
Emily was out jogging when her worst fear became a reality. A man approached her, pepper-sprayed her, and pushed her into his car trunk.
She was trapped in darkness as he drove around, planning his next move, and she believed she was going to be killed. To find solace, she began singing church songs she had learned in Sunday school when she was a young girl. This brought God’s peace and presence to her in the trunk.
The man turned up the music to drown out her singing and praying. Eventually, the car came to a stop, and the trunk opened. Emily tried to make her escape and even attempted to scratch his face, but he overpowered her and threw her to the ground.
In desperation, she asked him if he was working for the devil. He looked at her strangely and denied it. Emily replied, “Well, God is with me.” He then threw her back into the trunk, still tied up. Forty-five minutes later, they stopped at a house, where he brutally raped her. When it was all over, he placed her in the back seat of his car.
Her attacker made a strange request; he asked her to sing for him. She began singing “Amazing Grace” to him. She was later left in a parking lot near her college, and her attacker was arrested the next day. However, Emily was left with deep physical and emotional scars, and she was angry at the man and the entire situation.
A friend told Emily that God loved her and wanted to heal her. Emily decided to give her life to God and heard God say He would work things out for a good. She felt the Lord wanted her to forgive the man who had raped her and she recalled Jesus on the cross when He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
In a courageous act, Emily said out loud, “I choose to forgive this man,” mentioning his name. She then asked God to forgive the man, as he did not fully understand the gravity of his actions, and to bring him to his knees in repentance. She prayed often for his salvation, which marked a significant step in her healing process.
Remarkably, the anger within her began to dissipate, and the pain of the situation started to subside.
Her attacker received the maximum sentence for his actions.
Emily’s words, “Are you working for the devil?” and the song “Amazing Grace” constantly weighed on his mind. Two years into his incarceration, he asked God for forgiveness and a fresh start, giving his life to God.
Emily learned of this transformation through a news reporter covering inmates at the penitentiary. Now, her attacker witnesses to other inmates in prison.
When Emily heard this from the reporter, she jumped up and down, praising God in her kitchen. She was overjoyed to know that God had answered her prayers.
Forgiveness sets people free. It not only liberates the forgiver but also allows God to work on the person being forgiven.
God helped Emily to forgive instead of harboring bitterness and hatred toward her attacker. This story illustrates the power of forgiveness and demonstrates that no one is ever beyond God’s love and grace, no matter what they have done.
Emily was out jogging when her worst fear became a reality. A man approached her, pepper-sprayed her, and pushed her into his car trunk.
She was trapped in darkness as he drove around, planning his next move, and she believed she was going to be killed. To find solace, she began singing church songs she had learned in Sunday school when she was a young girl. This brought God’s peace and presence to her in the trunk.
The man turned up the music to drown out her singing and praying. Eventually, the car came to a stop, and the trunk opened. Emily tried to make her escape and even attempted to scratch his face, but he overpowered her and threw her to the ground.
In desperation, she asked him if he was working for the devil. He looked at her strangely and denied it. Emily replied, “Well, God is with me.” He then threw her back into the trunk, still tied up. Forty-five minutes later, they stopped at a house, where he brutally raped her. When it was all over, he placed her in the back seat of his car.
Her attacker made a strange request; he asked her to sing for him. She began singing “Amazing Grace” to him. She was later left in a parking lot near her college, and her attacker was arrested the next day. However, Emily was left with deep physical and emotional scars, and she was angry at the man and the entire situation.
A friend told Emily that God loved her and wanted to heal her. Emily decided to give her life to God and heard God say “He would work things out for a good.”
She felt the Lord wanted her to forgive the man who had raped her and she recalled Jesus on the cross when He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
In a courageous act, Emily said out loud, “I choose to forgive this man,” mentioning his name. She then asked God to forgive the man, as he did not fully understand the gravity of his actions, and to bring him to his knees in repentance. She prayed often for his salvation, which marked a significant step in her healing process.
Remarkably, the anger within her began to dissipate, and the pain of the situation started to subside.
Her attacker received the maximum sentence for his actions.
Emily’s words, “Are you working for the devil?” and the song “Amazing Grace” constantly weighed on his mind. Two years into his incarceration, he asked God for forgiveness and a fresh start, giving his life to God.
Emily learned of this transformation through a news reporter covering inmates at the penitentiary. Now, her attacker witnesses to other inmates in prison.
When Emily heard this from the reporter, she jumped up and down, praising God in her kitchen. She was overjoyed to know that God had answered her prayers.
Forgiveness sets people free. It not only liberates the forgiver but also allows God to work on the person being forgiven.
God helped Emily to forgive instead of harboring bitterness and hatred toward her attacker. This story illustrates the power of forgiveness and demonstrates that no one is ever beyond God’s love and grace, no matter what they have done.
Also, view: Spiritual benefits of forgiveness
