For Agnes, forgiveness was a long time in coming. Agnes is a Christian widow, living in northern Nigeria. In 2004, her shop-keeper husband was caught in a religious riot in Kano. Muslim rioters entered his shop and shot him with arrows. Bleeding, with arrows hanging from his chest, he ran home. The mob chased him and broke down the door. He was killed in front of Agnes and his four kids, who were barely able to convince the mob not to kill them, too.
After the riot, Agnes stayed in the community. She had nowhere else to go. When she saw her husband’s attackers on the street, she crossed to the other side. She was able to move on with her life, but she still resented the men who had taken her husband away.
In January of this year, Agnes was invited to a prayer conference through The Voice of the Martyrs in Nigeria. She spent three days with several other widows and some trained facilitators. They listened to teachings on several subjects over the three days, including forgiveness. They also spent time in prayer every day.
While praying with a group of women on the second day, Agnes felt a nudging in her spirit. She realized she needed to forgive her husband’s killers all these years later. She prayed, “Father, I need to forgive. Help me to know how to do so.” As soon as she prayed, she felt a shift in her emotions. Suddenly, she had compassion for her persecutors, and she felt sorry for them.
Today, when she sees the men on the street, she doesn’t need to cross to the other side. She can walk by calmly and even offer a greeting. Her attitude has changed so much that she was able to forgive another man who stole from her. She was given a rooster to raise for an income, and a Muslim man stole the rooster, sold it, and donated the money for construction of a new mosque. But with her new-found compassion in Christ, Agnes can smile at the man when she sees him.
For some, forgiveness is a long process. For others, it’s quick. For Agnes, it took almost 10 years for her to reach forgiveness, but now that she has, it’s a practiced habit.
YOUR TURN: In the comments, share a time in your own life where you had to forgive someone. Was it a long process or did it happen instantly for you?
Anyone is capable of forgiveness. A lot of time crying, toiling, and soul searching. But those who want it bad enough, can have the same result as this beautiful women of God had. She is not superhuman, she was bitter and angry (to the world with just cause). However, because she asked for the Lord to help, he was faithful in giving her her hearts desire. We can all have the same as well. She is a beacon, to all of us who feel it to be impossible. She proves in fact that it is not. So is having to go through such tragedy, we remember those before us. Having said that, having someone slander you, is of no comparison to those who choose to forgive when the odds were stacked against them. Giving you a fresh perspective, that if they could do it, so can you. Ask God sincerely for the strength to forgive and he will give it to you.
Posted by: LJ1989 | August 11, 2013 at 04:47 PM
i still have someone(s) to forgive. regarding what Jesus said, that forgiving others is what The Father expects, if He is to forgive me, is a huge problem for me, since I have not forgiven them and do not know how to get to the place where I know that I have forgiven them.
Posted by: chris fiensy | August 06, 2013 at 07:29 PM
What courage she has. I can't imagine having to see the men who killed my husband all the time. She is so brave. I so admire people like this and only hope I have the same courage if something horrible like that happens to me. God is amazing.
Posted by: Brooke | August 05, 2013 at 11:29 PM
In 2005, my niece was the victim of a brutal murder. Her body left in a park to be found by locals the next morning. She left behind a 2 year old son and the rest of us... her loving family.
It took me several months to come to a state of forgiveness for all those responsible for what happened to her... the whole time knowing our God says "Vengeance is mine, I will repay".
That is what ultimately brought me to forgive. In that statement there is SO MUCH. It's not my place to exact revenge, and knowing the Lord, I know what He has in store for those He does not know. Knowing this, I know also that mercy will be shown where mercy is given.
It was not up to me. I had to forgive. This doesn't lessen the pain at being separated from her. It doesn't cheapen her life or the loss of life. But it allows the Peace to flow through me. It frees me to live and serve in the time that I have left on this Earth.
Posted by: Steve Anderson | August 05, 2013 at 08:04 PM
Now this was done by the loving religion-just want to get that right?
Posted by: Syd Doyle | August 05, 2013 at 02:16 PM