Seventy Times Seven

“At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, ‘Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?’

Jesus replied, ‘Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.’”

Matthew 18:21-22

In our backyard we have these vines taking over everything. When I cut the grass I’m just cutting the leaves that are growing on the vines. I’ve tried my hardest to go out there and get them all up and cut them with hedge clippers and follow them to the source so that I could kill them all.

It’s actually impossible.

One time I saw my dad get rid of these same vines on our property growing up and wow was the work that he did hard work. He was out on a tractor for so long just digging and tilling and destroying said vines.

And I realized in this season that I have been walking through that unforgiveness is a lot like those vines. The less we forgive the more these vines take over and smother everything in our lives. Bitterness and anger build and we live our lives in a place of self protection and defense mode.

At least, that’s what I do.

I hold up a shield trying to protect myself and if I can’t protect myself then I start swinging the sword with my words and emotional stiff arm at people to defend myself and keep from getting hurt.

Unforgiveness breaks down trust and safety in any relationship whether or not that person is the one you need to forgive or not. It takes over every relationship in our life.

Unrepentance is the same way.

If we are unwilling to apologize then we are only killing ourselves. Because we all know the end result of pride and unconfessed sin is just a form of pride.

One of my close friends and I have been walking through the pits of our friendship. You know, one of those pits where the most unkind things are said. Where we throw daggers with our words and actions. One of those pits where we have both been in some pretty tough seasons and the ugly of our true selves come out on each other because we know that it’s safe. While unfair, still safe because we always come back and apologize and forgive. Why do we let our worst selves come out on our closest people? That’s another blog for another day.

I listened to a sermon a few weeks ago on community and was immediately convicted about my part in this one. I heard the Lord tell me to write a letter and apologize for specifics. Woof. It’s one thing to apologize, it’s another to write out all of the reasons why.

The immediate lie I started hearing while writing this letter was: “it’s done, you’ve had to repent too much in this friendship. It’s over. It’s been enough. It’s the straw of all straws.”

But, when I read that verse up top about forgiving seventy times seven (even if there isn’t repentance from the person) I also see it from the side of repenting seventy times seven. Even if we don’t know whether or not there will be forgiveness on the other end.

Turns out, it wasn’t too much repentance. Because if I have learned anything about the Gospel, it’s that forgiveness and repentance is a constant thing. One of those things that happens every single day, multiple times a day. The Lord doesn’t grow weary of forgiving us.

We get to actually come back to the table, lay it all out and talk through every piece of it. To me, this is a whole lot different than a prideful, confrontation where we just throw daggers and swords at each other. The Lord never throws them. He so patiently sits at the table waiting on us to come back.

Today I encourage you to “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” James 1:19 and I pray that you have friends that do the same. The kind of friend who doesn’t grow weary of the repentance that has to happen so often. 

Gap T has officially started their 9 month journey! They landed in Guatemala on Wednesday! I will fly out to meet them and spend a month on Monday!! 

God has provided $860 in the last week and we only have a little more to go to reach my fiscal year deadline on September 30th ($12,000). I am completely blow away by Him and the people who say yes to what He asks. I have had people give from $5-$250!  Feel led to give any amount??

Click that donate button up top!!

Attached are some pictures from launch where we had almost 800 people including parents and racers!