Today I received a Christmas card in the mail from a family member. On the cover of that card were the faces of four precious children that God had brought into the world. My immediate response was to throw the picture away and not give it a second look. Why? It was a reminder of my painful past. The father of those sweet little children had sexually abused me as a small child.

As I started to crumple the card up to throw it in the trash, God tugged at my heart. “Pray for him.” Oh yes, He just said what I though He said. I am to keep that card and every time I look at it, I will be reminded to pray for the very one who had caused me so much pain.

I am reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan for the second time. I took a break from reading this amazing book that reminds me of God’s crazy love for me, only to see that card. Is throwing that picture away to keep me from thinking about my past crazy love? No, it’s just crazy!

We are commanded to love everyone, even if evil is in their heart. The God that created me, and the God that loves me unconditionally, and the God that has covered my multitude of sins with the blood of His Son, commands me to love even those who have hurt me.

The card is now placed in front of my desk, where I will see it everyday. And everyday when I see the face of those children I will pray that the man who hurt me sees God’s amazing love for him the way that I do.