Eaden asked me to have a meeting at her home and speak about love and forgiveness. Just days later, I held the meeting and spoke about the importance of forgiveness in the Christian faith. Eaden was listening carefully. After a while she asked me to repeat what I had been saying. I did not know why she asked me to do so. As I started again, I noticed Eaden was gazing at Udella, her daughter-in-law. Udella was listening carefully.
I concluded my thoughts by telling the women that God loves us and therefore He forgave us. We should forgive others if we truly experience God’s forgiveness. A forgiving spirit forms and shapes us after God’s character.
Most of the women left after the coffee time. Then Udella asked me to stay longer because she wanted to speak to me. So, Eaden, Udella and I were alone. Then Udella shared with me that she and her husband had a big problem with her brother-in-law Aaro. Many times Aaro had borrowed money from Udella’s husband until the total he owed was a huge sum of money. When Udella’s husband asked his brother to return the money he owed, Aaro refused saying, “I do not have any money to reimburse you. Even if I had the money, I would not pay you back.” Then Aaro planned a big engagement celebration for his son but did not invite his brother. This type of slight is a big issue in our culture. Thus, the two brothers and their families became estranged.
Udella confessed to us that whenever she sensed her husband was willing to reconcile with his brother, she would discourage him from doing so. She would tell him, “He was the one who did you wrong. He is the mistaken one. He is the bad person. I did not want you to forgive your brother and be a weak person.”
As our conversation ended, Udella told me, “God forgives us because He is a mighty God. From what you have shared with us this morning, I have come to understand that the one who forgives is the strong one.”
Names have been changed