My Forgiveness ListSample

Healing Through Words

As I sat in the cab of my truck, miles from home, the ache of years spent estranged from my daughter gnawed at me. The pain caused by someone who fractured our bond felt like a wound that wouldn’t heal. I couldn’t face her; our history was too raw, too volatile. So, I turned to a notebook, trying to pour out my hurt and frustration in a letter. Draft after draft crumbled under the weight of my anger until one night, in a quiet moment of prayer, the words came: “I forgive you.” I never sent that letter. I didn’t need her response. Writing those words was enough to lift the burden from my heart, like unloading a heavy cargo I’d carried too long. Forgiving her didn’t require a face-to-face reckoning; it was a silent act of grace that began to heal me from afar.

I’ve learned that some relationships are too broken to mend in person. The wounds left by those who’ve hurt us can feel too deep for confrontation, as if speaking would only tear open old wounds. Forgiveness isn’t about forcing a resolution or demanding an apology. It’s about finding peace within myself. That night, I realized I could let go without her acknowledgment, trusting God to restore what I couldn’t. I didn’t need her permission to forgive. Writing my pain, whether in a letter I’d send or one I’d keep, became a step toward freedom. God calls me to release bitterness, not to win an argument, but to reclaim my joy. When I forgive, even from a distance, I reflect His grace, finding healing in the quiet surrender of my hurt to Him. Each mile I drive now feels lighter, carrying me closer to peace.