At the very end of the session last week, "Teresa" had told me, "When I was eighteen, I had an abortion. My parents never knew. I didn’t even tell the father."
She had just now entered my therapy office and took her seat without looking at me,.
"Teresa, how are you feeling about telling me about the abortion last time?"
Teresa looked down at her lap, where she clenched her hands, as if to hold herself together.
"Scared … you know, not even my husband knows. "
"What scares you?"
"You must think I’m awful.’"
"Why would you think that?"
"How can I be a good person and kill my own baby? Don’t you think I’m terrible?"
"I think you are a sinner like the rest of us, Theresa. Abortion is forgivable."
"I’ve told God over and over again how sorry I am, but I still feel awful."
"It’s time to receive His forgiveness, Teresa. It’s been twenty years. Yes, abortion is awful, but you are not your sin. You are forgivable. And He forgives you.
"Oh!" Covering her face with her hands, she began to sob, her stomach shaking as if she was jogging.
That day marked a turning point for Theresa—she could finally let his forgiveness penetrate her heart. Many of us need to drink deeply of his forgiveness—for promiscuity, for stealing, for self-rejection, for gossip, for our cold hearts. Let’s pray for grace to accept his acceptance.
Jesus, help us acknowledge our self-destructiveness and receive your forgiveness.
Read 1 John 1:9