As you know, when you’re married, sometimes you fail each other.
Even if you’re surrounded by lots of people with great marriages and you hear lots of messages about how to communicate and how to give and how to love, the truth is, sometimes you just mess up. And in your messing up, you mess up the one you love the most.

And sadly, the other person, (the one you love the most) has to suffer the consequences of your choices. Your choice to be selfish, or your choice to say that thing that stings, or your choice to just not talk and to close up your heart and leave them wondering if you’ll ever even like them again.

And it would seem like no two people could ever really have what all the storybooks tell and what all the movies portray–that never-stopping, heart-delighting, blissfully passionate kind of love. I mean, real life doesn’t work out that way…right?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t know where I’d be without the healing power of forgiveness. I’m not talking about the flippant, “Sure, I forgive you…but I’ll never forget this and you’ll surely pay,” sort of forgiveness. I’m talking about the “Jesus forgave me of everything awful and ugly I’ve ever done and everything mean and hurtful that I’ll ever do…so how can I not forgive you?” sort of forgiveness. I’m talking about the forgiveness that comes from the One who never sinned against anyone and yet was sinned against the most…and forgave.

The forgiveness that comes from Him enables us to love in such a way that covers a multitude of sins. I mean it, I don’t know where I’d be without that forgiveness.

Lord, help us to keep practicing that forgiveness here…in this house…in this marriage. Thank You for the way Your forgiveness heals us. You warm our cold, distant hearts and fuse us back together again.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14