Forgiveness doesn’t come easily in this world of divisiveness and anger. The smallest slight is reason to hold a lifetime of grudges, ruining lives and relationships. So, when my husband received this beautiful video of extended grace, I knew it needed to be shared. You may or may not have followed the story of Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, who shot and killed Botham Jean, believing her life was in danger. It’s a crazy story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time—with a twist.
I, myself, don’t often watch the news for a few reasons, however, while staying at my mother-in-law’s, it’s not something I can easily avoid. This is why I’ve somewhat followed the account of this particular story. I’ve no doubt that some will make this a race issue, since Guyger is white and Jean was African-American—but I don’t believe that was the case. Guyger inadvertently entered Jean’s apartment, believing it was her own. In her confusion, she thought Jean posed a threat and shot him. She was arrested and tried for murder.
On Friday, OneNewsNow aired the sentencing hearing for Amber Guyger. The jury, in their compassion, did not recommend that she receive the maximum sentence of life in prison, but recommended a ten-year sentence, instead. They believed, with her testimony, that she showed true despondency for this criminal act. Unbeknownst to Guyger and Botham Jean’s family, his brother, Brandt Jean, asked to speak at the sentencing hearing, which you can watch in the video below.
Why is it that some are able to forgive the most heinous acts?—The West Nickel Mines shooting of October 2, 2006 comes to mind—while others cannot forgive the smallest slight? We believe our “rights” have been trampled upon and then have to hold someone accountable. This is the crux of so many broken marriages and estranged families. This is at the heart of the decline of family values. We forget that we are all sinners saved by amazing grace. We accept that Jesus Christ died a horrendous death on the cross so that our sins are forgiven, but we cannot find even 1/100th of His compassion to forgive others.
I was convicted while watching this video. I have been guilty of holding grudges, and it seems like too long a process for me to find my way to forgiveness. I don’t want that to be a part of my walk. When we refuse forgiveness, our testimony is worthless. We cannot talk the talk unless we’re willing to walk the walk. It’s the theme of forgiveness that is woven throughout my upcoming novel Illusions (scheduled to release in April).
What about you? Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? If so, don’t wait until it’s too late. Be encouraged that when we step out in faith, God is always faithful to bless our obedience.
Here is a link to the story from OneNewsNow.
