Forgive yourself .

“ Juliet, watch it!” Sophia shrieked from behind the Lady walking ahead of her with wide-open eye —or so she thought, and was about to step on a scorpion.

Sophia’s shout restored Juliet’s consciousness. She was obviously absent minded and was close to stepping on the death trap which was dangerously poised to strike . She was lucky to retract her steps and leaped over.

The two ladies scurried away from the scene when they couldn’t find anything to kill the scorpion.

“ What were you thinking of that nearly sent you to eternity prematurely? Sophia asked after they had reached a better place. They were closer to the girls hostel. “ I don’t know why God instructed me to follow you from the cafeteria. As I trudged behind you, I could tell you were so lost to the extent that you couldn’t look back to see the person walking behind you on that lonely road. Thank God I spotted the scorpion first, else the story will be a different one, of course with you in the hospital’s emergency unit by now”. Sophia said all those words in one breath. She was so worried about what could have almost cost her friend’s life.

Hmmm, was Juliet’s response as she sat on the slab at the balcony of their hostel. Sophia remained standing with arms akimbo, her corrugator supercilis muscle in full action as she stared at her friend concerningly

“ Sophia, please be honest with me, am I an hypocrite? Juliet asked with her gaze peering into the open space before them. “ I remembered how my past life was, the silly mistakes I made by getting pregnant and aborting it right in this school. You knew how I escaped death by a hair’s breath that fateful night when you found me lying in the pool of my own blood, in that same area where scorpion almost stung me. I remembered you rushed me to the school’s clinic where I was resuscitated. It was at the clinic you preached to me and I accepted Christ. However, I haven’t been able to reconcile the fact that I deafened my ears to all the instructions my parents gave me and brought this upon myself. I wished I had not done those things I did. I wished I listened to my parents…” This time, tears had begun to trickle down Juliet’s face.

“ I have forgiven her, tell her to forgive herself” were the words Sophia heard in her Spirit. The voice continued “ …because she hasn’t forgiven herself, she can’t experience the fullness of Joy that comes with my pardon. The devil will always leverage on that state to torment her till she gets frustrated and believe that my forgiveness is unreal. Tell her I love her so much but she has to allow me love her better by giving me the chance when she totally forgive herself. If she remains in this state of self blame and regrets, it will be difficult for her to experience the true freedom that comes from me. Tell her to forgive herself and accept that I love her, no matter what she has done. Tell her I have forgiven and forgotten her Sins and that she has no right to remember what I have forgotten. Tell Juliet that she is my daughter now. “

Hearing those words, Sophia herself began to sob. The message carried the weight of God’s love for Juliet. It was so heavy that she had to sit because her feet suddenly couldn’t support her weight again.

After she had finished sobbing, this time, Juliet was confused. She had stopped crying and had to watch the paroxysm of emotion that swept over Sophia.“ What is wrong, Sophia? Did I cause this? I’m sorry…” before she finished her words, Sophia interrupted her half way and looked at her with teary eyes , “ You didn’t cause anything. Stop blaming yourself for everything, Juliet. You can’t handle what is past. God has forgiven you completely. Please stop hurting yourself with this act” Sophia continued, and spilled out everything God told her.

“ You see, Juliet, God loved you so much that he saved you three times. The first was his death on the cross to really save you, the second was when he sent me to rescue you from bleeding to death and the third was what happened a few minutes ago. The second and third time where his attempts to make you see and believe the first. My dear, God has forgiven you. Don’t beat yourself over what God has defeated for you. Please, forgive yourself and move on. God has made your life beautiful again but you’ll need to remove the blind fold of self unforgiveness.” Sophia said convincingly .

Right there, Juliet understood the root of her problem. She understood she had provided the armistice, which the devil used to torment her. At that point, she opened her heart again to God as she prayed, this time, from the place of self forgiveness.

The joy that filled her heart after the prayers sent her leaping and dancing . Sophia’s joy was doubled.You need to see the way they heartily laughed as they entered their hostels.

Such a beautiful sight to see!

Dear friends, are you like Juliet? You gave your life to Jesus eons ago but you have refused to let go of the “ millions” of mistakes you made. You have been so faithful in piling them up and now, you are weighed down( when Jesus has said that his burden his light).

It is time you forgave yourself and enjoyed the fullness of God’s forgiveness. You have no right to remember what God has forgotten.Go back to the cross and unladen the burden that only you can, and run freely with the joy of total freedom that Christ gives.

God can still restore everything you thought you had lost or give you something better than what you have lost. He is God, and he makes all things beautiful in his own time.

Forgive yourself my friend, and move on happily in your Christian journey.

God bless you!