Warning—Forgiving Can Lead to Excessive Giggling!

By Bruce Hebel –

Recently my wife, Toni, and I were at a church in California helping people walk through heaven’s protocols of forgiveness. Jan, a hospitality leader at the church, was assisting us by finding places where we could minister to the people we were helping. After we finished ministering, Jan told us that she too needed help forgiving. Since it was so late and given the fact that she had people waiting for her to give them a ride home, she wouldn’t be able to meet with us. I suggested to her that she drop her passengers off where they needed to go and then meet us in the breakfast area of our hotel. She agreed.

We had barely arrived at our hotel when Jan called to tell us that she was in the lobby. When we met her we found that she had brought her husband and her daughter Lisa with her, along with her daughter’s best friend. You see, the wound that Jan was struggling with also involved her daughter. Lisa had recently revealed that a family member had molested her for four years when she was a child. Both mother and daughter were clearly in torment. We decided it was best to work with them one-on-one, so Toni took the daughter and her friend into another area of the hotel while I stayed with Jan and her husband. We individually worked these wounded ladies through Heaven’s protocols of forgiving the deep wounds that were caused by that horrific experience. As Jan finished forgiving the offender and also forgiving herself, it was remarkable to see the peace and joy that began to shine from her countenance. Her smile was radiant. Her once sad eyes were now full of joy.

Later, when Lisa returned to where we were sitting, I asked her, “How are you doing? How is your heart?”  She just giggled. The more I inquired, the more she giggled. She could not answer me for giggling. When we first met her, she was withdrawn and depressed. Now, after walking through Heaven’s protocols of forgiveness, she was so full of joy she couldn’t talk.

That’s the way it is when we forgive. Forgiveness always brings joy to the one who grants it. Always! And sometimes it even leads to excessive giggling.

AUTHOR QUOTE: God unleashes His blessings on us when we choose to forgive!

“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11 NET).

Today’s devotional is by Bruce Hebel, Forgiving Forward Seminar Speaker, President of ReGenerating Life Ministries, and Adjunct Professor at Carver Bible College. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and has served in ministry for over 35 years.