“Who
Is There Like You?” by Melanie Rigney
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons
sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading
underfoot our guilt? (Micah 7:18-19)
Lord,
show us your mercy and love. (Psalm 85:8a)
And
stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother
and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother,
and sister, and mother." (Matthew
12:49-50)
Piety
Lord, I don’t
understand how You can continue to love me. Help me to set aside that disbelief
and open my arms, my mind, my heart, and my soul to you in faith if not in
confidence.
Study
Sometimes,
it’s one particular comment or incident. Other times, it’s the accumulation of
months or years of bullying, teasing, or other bad behavior. But the breaking
point is reached. It’s the end of the marriage, and you know it, regardless of
your best efforts in counseling or trying to talk it out. It’s when you force a
loved one with an addiction out of your home because it’s no longer safe for others
if he or she remains. It’s when you stop interacting with a friend, whether you
break up with a sticky note, an email, a difficult phone call or in-person
conversation… or by simply disappearing.
However you
do it and whenever you do it, it’s done. And often, that’s the healthiest thing
for everyone involved.
Fortunately,
that is not how the Lord works. We can push and push and push Him away. We can
ignore his gentle but persistent nudges. We can complain that a loving God
would not allow the world small and large to operate as it does. Doesn’t
matter. As long as we’re breathing, He will continue to love us, continue to
fling open His arms in hopes of welcoming us back into His fold. And with that
compassion and mercy beyond understanding, when we have identified our guilt
and offered contrition, He will wipe it away. And He will do this again and
again, regardless of how many triggering incidents would drive any man or woman
away for good.
As Micah
notes in today’s first reading, there is no one like Him. No one. So grab Him
and hold on for eternal life.
Action
Ask God to
forgive something you have said or done or thought that you find unforgivable.
Image credit: Geralt on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/
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