My guest today is Laurie Coombs. You won't want to miss where the healing begins in her new book:
I
didn’t want to revisit my past, but I knew I needed to. I had already seen God
move mightily on my behalf in the short time since giving my life to Christ,
but I knew He wasn’t finished yet.
Healing begins the moment we allow Jesus complete access to the darkness contained within our souls. (Click to Tweet)
Darkness must flee in the presence of light, in the presence of Jesus, but light cannot go where it is not permitted. Doors must be opened for light’s rays to touch our darkest dark. And at this point, I was flinging doors open left and right, begging, Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Darkness must flee in the presence of light, in the presence of Jesus, but light cannot go where it is not permitted. Doors must be opened for light’s rays to touch our darkest dark. And at this point, I was flinging doors open left and right, begging, Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Soon, I heard God’s gentle whisper––“It’s time to forgive.”
I knew what God was calling me to. I knew I was being called to forgive Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. (Click to Tweet) But quite
honestly, I thought I had already done that. Yet over the course of the next
several weeks, God slowly showed me that, while I had forgiven Anthony as far
as I was capable, I needed His grace to forgive completely, to forgive unconditionally.
But then God took it a step further––“Love
your enemy,” He said.
At that, I cried out to God and said, “Okay,
God, I get this whole forgiveness thing, but love my enemy? How am I to do that?”
I wrestled with what God was calling me to
do, but I had read account after account in Scripture of God redeeming losses.
Of God healing physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. I saw Jesus’s
heart toward the brokenhearted, and I believed God could do all that for me as
well. I didn’t
want my faith to be just a belief system. I wanted it to be real. I wanted it
to impact my life. I wanted it to change the way I lived. So I followed,
believing wholeheartedly that God would deliver. That He would faithfully keep
His promises.
And He did.
What began with a simple, seemingly
insignificant call to love and forgive my enemy led to years of correspondence
with the man who murdered my dad, through which I witnessed God do the
impossible. I have seen God redeem a situation that seemed without hope or purpose.
He has brought good out of evil, love out of hate, and peace out of despair.
God has truly worked all things for good in my life. And I believe with all my
heart that He will do that for you as well, if you let Him.
I pray you will.
You see, God has not left us to sit in our pain. (Click to Tweet) Jesus came to heal. He is our redeemer, and I know it is His desire to
lift each of us out of our despair and bring us in—to a new, better place. A
place rich in beauty and blessings. But in order to get there, we must be willing
to allow God unhindered access to all the pain and bitterness and anger in our
souls. And we must be willing to forgive.
For this is where our healing begins.
Letters from My Father’s Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness––which tells an incredible true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God––has just been released. It’s available wherever books are sold. Be sure to pick up your copy today!
Laurie Coombs is a passionate writer and speaker on the issues
of forgiveness, redemption, and the hope found in Jesus. She is the author of Letters from My Father’s Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness, an
incredible true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God. Her
story was featured in Billy Graham’s film, Heaven, and
she is a featured writer and blogger for iBelieve and Crosswalk. Laurie and her
husband, Travis, make their home in Nevada along with their two daughters, Ella
and Avery.
For more information about Laurie or to book her for a speaking
engagement, visit LaurieCoombs.org. And be sure to connect with
her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
You can order a copy of Letters from My Father's Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness
You can also find it at:
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