Circle of Grace

I watched a great family movie this weekend which, ironically, starred Billy Bob Thornton. The Astronaut Farmer is the story of a former NASA astronaut who never made it out of training because he had to go home and help save the family farm. But he didn’t gave up his dream of space travel, and is pursuing it by building a rocket in the barn and making plans to launch himself into space. Amazingly, his beautiful wife (Virginia Madsen) and three adorable kids support this endeavor wholeheartedly.

In fact, the one time Virginia Madsen and Billy Bob Thornton argue, it’s over this issue and her perception that he’s not taking care of his family. (I don’t want to give anything away, but considering what’s happened so far in the movie, I have to agree with her.) But it’s the next scene that made the biggest impression on me…

She’s getting the kids into their old Suburban the following morning, and her husband follows her outside to try and keep her from leaving him. She tells him it’s Sunday, and they’re simply going to church. Then she says this: “So that I don’t get bitter … I’m going to have to try to figure out a way to forgive you.”

Virginia Madsen had it exactly right. We don’t need to forgive others for their sake, like we’re bestowing some great favor on them. God is the only one who gets to do that. Instead, we need to forgive for our own sake, so anger, disappointment, and resentment won’t consume us. It may take a long time and a lot of soul searching to get to that place where we can forgive, but there’s really no way around it.

In Colossians we’re told,

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” ~ Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

That’s an even better reason to pardon others. How can we possibly not, when we have been acquitted of so much ourselves? When we do, we become part of God’s circle of grace.

Oswald Chambers defines forgiveness as, “the divine miracle of grace.” When I first considered his description, I thought, “Well, that sounds really nice, and sure … if you’re God, miracles are a piece of cake. Not so much for us, though…” But then it occurred to me: Was easy for God to let his one and only son endure a horrific death on the cross? Would it be easy for any parent? Of course not, but He did, and it was all about forgiveness. Miracles aren’t easy, but that’s what makes them so, well, miraculous.

Do you believe in miracles..?