Forgiveness Made A Way

Saturday night, October 15th, I attended a Christian concert with my wife and two of our close friends at the Lied Center located on the campus of the University of Kansas. The concert featured the David Crowder Band but I was most blessed by an artist named Chris August. He is finding time on national broadcasts with a couple of big hits, "Starry Night" and "7x70". The song "7x70" is a story about his childhood experience of growing up in a broken home and finding freedom in the ability to forgive. Here are the lyrics to that song...
Lyrics to 7x70 :

I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born

I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born
These walls have seen me happy
But most of all they’ve seen me torn
They’ve heard the screaming matches
That made a family fall apart
They’ve had a front row seat
To the breaking of my heart

7 times 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
7 times 70 times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

I remember running down the hallway
Playing hide-and-seek
I didn’t know that I was searching
For someone to notice me
I felt alone and undiscovered
And old enough to understand
Just when I’m s’posed to be learning to love you
Let me doubt again

7 times 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
7 times 70 times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

I lost count of the ways you let me down
But no matter how many times you weren’t around
I’m all right now

God picked up my heart and helped me through
And shined a light on the one thing left to do
And that’s forgive you
I forgive you

7 times 70 times
If that’s the cost I’ll pay the price
7 times 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way

7 times 70 times
There’s healing in this house tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around
Yeah
I’m gonna wrap it all around

I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born

 

 

Of course, August got the song title from the answer that Jesus gave his disciples after they asked Him how many times should they forgive a brother who offends them. I think the words that struck me the most was the line that says...

God picked up my heart and helped me through
And shined a light on the one thing left to do
And that’s forgive you
I forgive you

Forgiveness is uniquely a "God thing" it is not a human characteristic and that is why August went on to say ...

"I'm reaching up to pull it down"! I hope you have experienced the forgiveness of sins that only Christ can supply and I hope you are using the gift of forgiveness in your personal relationships. I'm gonna wrap it all around!