02/15/2026
Life Lessons from the Holy Spirit
Weekly Encouragement for Fellow Christians
Freedom doesn’t always, or hardly ever, looks or feels like you think it will. I’ve been pretty open about my testimony and past, sharing how God has used it over and over to help others find their way out of the pit. About three years ago, the Holy Spirit led me on a deep dive of loving, forgiving, and praying for my enemies. That was a hard, painful journey but freeing at the same time. God even gave me the opportunity to share that message a few times. Little did I know that it was preparation for the last couple of weeks.
There were two people who were the main abusers throughout my childhood. I am so grateful God taught me how to forgive them and give it all to Him to use as He will. I have prayed for those two (and many more) daily for years and really meant it for the last few. Let me be clear here: that is God in me, not me in my own strength. Submitting to God and allowing the Holy Spirit to work, teach, and lead me through that process was freeing. I learned – and am still learning – who God says I am and how to walk in that. It was a level of freedom I had never expected but was and am grateful for.
Two weeks ago, we received a call that one of them had passed away. Honestly, my first reaction was relief that I am now safe. I don’t have to look over my shoulder anymore. Following closely behind the first reaction, though, was sadness and grief. I didn’t realize until that moment that I had still been holding on to hope that he would get his life together, heal, and become the person he could be in Christ. Nobody is EVER too far gone for Christ to redeem. Death, however, is when eternity starts. The time for decisions, redemption, saving, etc. is gone at that point. The time for surrendering his life to Jesus was over. His time had run out.
I did my part in forgiving, letting go, and praying for him daily. The rest is between him and God. I am not responsible for the outcome, only for my obedience to God and His word. I will forever be grateful that when the call came, God didn’t have to wade through unforgiveness, bitterness, or anything else from long ago. I was able to feel compassion for his wife and children because they lost someone they love, a version of this person that I didn’t know. I can be grateful for the freedom and sad for their loss at the same time through Christ who strengthens me.
Dig Deeper: Joshua 1:9. Philippians 4:12-13, John 8:36, Matthew 5:43-46