I’d like to welcome guest Lorraine Hossington for August. When Lorraine submitted her family story about forgiveness to me, William Arthur Ward’s quote came to my mind: “Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.” One of the things I’ve enjoyed from guest contributors is the variety of family stories—some hilarious, others serious. I think you’ll appreciate reading Lorraine’s firsthand account about the path of forgiveness she took with her grandfather and the application she includes.
Does Forgiveness Warm the Heart and Cool the Sting?
by Lorraine Hossington
I’ll always remember our family get-togethers when I was a young girl. My aunts and uncles would come together when we celebrated something special. One such memory was watching my granddad roll his own cigarettes. In the packs were small pieces of gold paper. I’d sit beside him, and he’d make little boats out of these papers. I was fascinated to watch him shape and mold the papers into something. I was seven years old at the time. Now I’m fifty-six, yet I still remember those times.
When I later grew up, I found out my granddad hadn’t always been this kind and gentle person I knew as a young child. I discovered when my mum and her five sisters and two brothers were children, they lived in fear of what their father might do to them. My granddad had a drinking problem, and when he was drunk, he would beat his wife and sometimes his children. He was in the Merchant Navy, and I remember my mum saying that if they knew he was coming home, and they were out, they’d sneak up to the front door and lift the letterbox to see if they could smell tobacco smoke or catch a glimpse of him. If they could, they’d stay out and not come home until he was either asleep or gone. They were fearful of his violence.
My granddad later told his children he regretted what he’d done to them in their growing up years. He wished he’d been a better father. He was sorry he missed them growing up.
This story is just one of many I remember. The sad thing is, we can never go back and change things in the past. But by forgiving one another, we can move forward into a better place. I am the only one in my family who believes in Jesus. I continue to pray for my family to come to faith and have a relationship with him.
I think about the persistent widow we read about in Luke 18. The widow is constantly bothering the judge for justice. Verses four and five tell us how he keeps refusing her request. But she keeps pestering him, and eventually he gives her the justice she asked for.
I want to encourage you to keep praying for what is on your heart. Don’t give up, even when you feel there is no answer to what you are asking. Follow the persistent widow’s example, and your prayer will be answered. The Lord knows what we need, even before we ask Him. So, I am going to keep praying. And I hope you’ll be encouraged to go forward and continue to pray. And especially remember to forgive.
***
Lorraine lives in a lovely seaside village in South Wales in the U.K. She loves reading and can be found in the library looking for books or reading on her kindle. She enjoys walking by the sea, getting inspiration for her writing endeavors which is speculative fiction. Her family is spread out across the country, but they get together whenever they can.
From Becky:
Friends, I’d love to hear your comments about forgiveness. It’s a tough thing to deal with, but so important to work through and get on the other side. Open in your browser and scroll down to the comment section. I reply to all comments. Please feel free to forward this to a friend. Also, I’m always looking for that next great family story. Be sure to let me know if you have one! You can write it, I can write it, or we can do it together.
