You Are Forgiven!

Writers Retreat

This past weekend, I attended a writers retreat in Cape Girardeau, MO. Located in the country at a retreat center, I had a cute, cozy cabin all to myself. I had high hopes of writing an article for publication and catching up on some much-needed sleep.

While the article didn’t get written, what I experienced was the Holy Spirit, Himself, stirring among us.

It was a powerful moment that I will never forget.

Sitting around the table were twelve women with different backgrounds, different stages of life, and different writing styles, but we all had one common goal; we are writers called by the Lord to further His kingdom.

You Are Forgiven

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing more about this retreat, but for now, I would like to focus on one memorable thing that happened on Sunday morning. After a delicious homemade breakfast, we gathered around a big wooden table for a time of prayer, reflection, and repentance.

One of the writers led a repentance exercise. The exercise was simple but so very powerful. While kneeling at the station, I wrote my transgressions on a slip of paper, dropped it in a bowl of water, swirled that piece of paper around with a bamboo stick, and watched it dissolve before my eyes. This represented my sin being washed away.

The verse that we focused on during this time was Psalm 103:12. This is what sent chills down my spine. I plan the topic of my blog posts months out in advance and this weeks post was on forgiveness, with this exact verse.

This wasn’t a coincidence. This was a total God moment.

Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” 

I am a sinner.

You are a sinner.

Through the confession of our sins, the Lord forgives us, as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t hold our confessed sins over our heads. They are gone, dissolved like a piece of paper in a bowl of water.

One of my favorite Christian groups is Casting Crowns. Their song “East to West” sums up this verse better than I ever could.

Embrace God’s love and forgiveness for you, sweet friends!

Blessings to you all!