"Out of Control"

"O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps." (Psalms 79:1) As you might have guessed, the tile above this Psalm in my Bible is, "Sorrow Over Jerusalem." A real test of forgiveness is having peace, not so much the kind of peace you might feel, but more the kind of peace that you know. In other words, there are no more issues that need to be settled or dealt with, because it has been put to rest in your heart and mind. This is not just about us being able to forgive others, it is also about us being able to forgive ourselves. If only I had done it this way, or if only I had not done that, then maybe my life would be better, then maybe I could still have them in my life. Those are not just random thoughts, those are regrets, the kind of regrets that tear against the peace that comes with knowing true forgiveness. Not only does it harm the peace we should experience, but it robs us of the joy we should have in our hearts; joy that only comes from not having the baggage of regret any longer. What the new life we have in Christ is all about is just that, New Life! The old things have passed away; behold, all things are New! And the most beautiful thing about that newness, is that it's not our doing! O my goodness, He makes all things New!!! Why can't we just accept it and move on, on to living out the forgiveness we have been given? What does restoration look like? That was a question put to one of our elders at church Sunday; and he seemed to pause for an answer, until he finally said, "To have a Father." The more I think about that answer, the more I agree that it is true...
""When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."' "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.' But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and now he is returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began."" (Luke 15:17-24) NLT