I enjoyed high school very much, but I struggled with the pain of this broken relationship. Then in college God showed me my need for Jesus, and I began a personal relationship with Him. He taught me that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me. And now He gives me forgiveness I don’t deserve because of what Jesus did.

I wanted to be bold enough not only to approach Gillian in true, caring friendship but also to share how Jesus had given me life and peace. So when I saw her, I swallowed the lump in my throat and made a beeline for her. I gave her a hug and a big smile. We talked about family, careers, and how everyone had changed. When I told her that God had changed me a lot since high school, the door was open to share what He means to me.

Forgiveness means we choose to release someone who has wronged us or sinned against us. We don’t do it because they deserve it or have earned forgiveness. The Bible says that we ourselves were God’s enemies, dead in our sins, yet God sent Jesus to pay our debt on the cross. Jesus has made peace between us and God, paying the ultimate price so that we could be restored to the Father. Who else needs to hear this news from you?