Plowing

My husband-to-be had always imagined building a home in the country, so before we tied the matrimony knot, we searched for that perfect piece of land on which to build our home. The day we found it was magical. 

My stride matched my husband’s-to-be as we walked the parcel side by side locating the four posts that marked the corners of the property. The day was warm and the pungent odor of buck brush, growing prolifically on the land, filled the air. Then there was the soft musical sound of running water from the creek parallel to the parcel. And though the land was mostly flat, there was a slight rise at its center. 

Standing arm and arm and looking out over those five acres in front of us, my husband-to-be said, “This is where we will build our house.” 

Consequently, trusting him and his dream, I signed my name next to his on the deed.  

After that, the back breaking, callous making, sweat inducing work began. First, we purchased an old house that needed tearing down and then proceeded to pull that old house apart. 

Board by board it came down and board by board, my husband constructed a “new” house right where he’d imagined it; on the little rise that was now our property.

I never did see a set of blueprints for our house. The plans were never made visible to me. Instead, that house took its shape according to the vision inside my husband’s head. And then, when it was finished, it fit us perfectly. 

Deciding to Put Our Hands on the Plow

Like building a house, once we decide we need to forgive someone, our decision requires us to put our hand on the plow and begin. Forgiveness involves hard work. Though there is no one set of blueprints, forgiveness does involve setting down our accusations, grudges and defenses and building something different in our lives. 

Forgiving means we extend forgiveness even without knowing the extent of our forgiveness. It is much like trusting a builder who knows how to build without demanding to see the blueprints. You trust and rely on the One who knows much more about building than any of us ever could.

Why Bother?

Why bother plowing? Plowing is hard work, but the hard work produces much more than our dreams or imaginations ever could.

You can read the whole story of my journey to forgiveness in my book, A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness found at Redemption Press and Amazon. Also, stayed tuned for up and coming details on the next Emotional Healing Through Forgiveness © workshop, slated for Saturday, April 26 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the YMCA in Sandpoint, Idaho.