ann kiemel

that word "REMORSE" keeps coming to me.

it is more than 'i'm sorry'...not even close to

"well, i failed again'.  seven letters put together

that sort of punch you in the stomach.  make your

legs shake.  beef up your heart rate.  takes us to our

knees in the reality that we have failed God or another.

 

remorse.

a disbelief that we are capable of humanly crafting

something that is going to do great harm to another,

or to a redemptive cause.  the deep, aching regret

that we cannot change what we've done.  can't dress it

up and color it like a rainbow and flick it aside and just

sigh and go on with life.

 

uh-uh.  no way.  not possible.

remorse can only transform us and heal us

and be redeemable if we fall on our faces and

confess to the only One, Jesus.  who knows ALL

the pieces.  the hidden lies.  the unseen ugliness.

the well-kept secrets that we'd almost rather die

than confess to another human being.

 

remorse can kill or transform us.

it all depends on what we do with it.

the Bible says we must confess to Jesus, and

then,  to another.  that is where the crunch comes.

it may take months or even years before we have the

courage to say it out-loud to another.  but i know

about courage.  it is a gift from God.  it is not something

we have to pull out of our inner core.  this was one of

the most amazing things i've learned in my Christian walk.

my father-in-law, dr. henry brandt, taught this to me.

 

remorse over an abortion/s?  a closet alcoholic?  em-

bezzeling someone's money?  wound the tender hearts of

our children in a very damaging way?  i think remorse

covers everything dirty and nasty and wrong, and we are

desperate for the Savior.  the Blood.  for forgiveness from

Jesus and others and yes, even for ourselves. this is often

the hardest part of all.

 

there is some remorse that isn't intentionally commited.

an earnest mother who forgets something in the house,

and leaves the children in the car for just a second,  but

something terrible happens.  and she can't fix it.

 

remorse.

i am so  glad we have a Savior.

i can usually forgive anyone of almost anything

because i've messed up enough myself that i have

no business being critical of another. if you are living

with remorse, just remember that God can work GOOD out

of ANYTHING.  beauty out of ashes.  blessings unimaginable.

 

a time comes when we have to dust ourselves off.  wrap

the comfort of the Lord around our shoulders, and move on,

truly believing that there is hope and deliverance for us all.