Guilt can linger for years—but one moment with Jesus can change everything.
I could tell Steve was nervous. As he sat in the hospital waiting room, his right leg bounced up and down. The room was silent except for the sound of Steve’s foot tapping on the floor. I sat in a chair across from him and waited patiently for him to speak.
Finally, Steve muttered, “I should have been there.” He went on to share a memory from his past. When he was ten years old, Steve would go right home from school to check on his grandmother, who lived with them. One day, a friend convinced him to play in a nearby park. He thought his grandmother would be fine for a little while. When he arrived home late, there was an ambulance in the driveway. Steve’s grandmother had suffered a stroke. She passed away later that week.
Steve carried the past guilt of that memory into his adult years. He believed he had let his grandma down, was somehow responsible for her death, and felt powerless to do anything about it. By telling his story, Steve was able to verbalize his feelings.
Years later, he now found himself caring for his wife who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The day I met Steve, she had undergone a Whipple procedure to remove tumors from her pancreas.
On that day, Jesus provided me with an amazing opportunity. I was able to share the message of Christ’s unconditional love. Steve and I talked about the many ways God had loved him. Soon he began to list all the blessings in his life.
He paused as we talked more deeply about the promise of forgiveness in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Steve came to a wonderful conclusion: God’s forgiveness also forgets! At that moment, Steve’s posture visibly changed. He sat up a little straighter. He took a deep breath. It was like years of regret were removed from his shoulders.
As we ended our visit together, we talked about what Steve could do to help himself move forward. He said he would work to turn off the “video player” in his mind. We talked about how Satan wants to create feelings of worthlessness, so we stay trapped in our regrets. “I can turn him off!” Steve said. He also shared how he would do that. “I have a wonderful wife who needs me right now,” he said. “I can focus on just being with her today and tomorrow and the next. Right now, I will focus on one day at a time. I will also pray daily to God and ask for his strength.” He agreed that it would also be important to attend his church home and to read his Bible for daily encouragement.
That day, I witnessed the amazing power that Christ’s forgiveness has over all sin and guilt. I saw firsthand how his power changes everything.
Pastor Edward Frey, Director of Ministry