Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled Love That Forgives was written by Lisa M. Samra.

Eighty years of marriage.

My husband's great-uncle Pete and great-aunt Ruth celebrated this remarkable milestone

on May 31st, 2021. After a chance meeting in 1941, when Ruth was still in high school,

the young couple were so eager to get married that they eloped the day after Ruth graduated.

Pete and Ruth believe God brought them together and has guided them through

all these years. Reflecting on eight decades of marriage, Pete and Ruth both agree that one key

to sustaining their relationship has been the decision to choose forgiveness. Anyone in a healthy

relationship understands that we all regularly need forgiveness

for the ways we hurt each other, whether through an unkind word, a broken promise, or a forgotten

task. In a section of scripture written to help believers in Jesus live together in unity,

Paul refers to the essential role

forgiveness plays. After urging his readers to choose compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,

and patience in Colossians 3, Paul adds the encouragement to forgive one another if any of you

has a grievance. Most importantly, all their interactions with each other were to be guided by love.

Relationships that model the characteristics outlined by Paul are a blessing.

May God help all of us work to cultivate healthy relationships,

characterized by love and forgiveness.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Colossians chapter 3 verses 12 through 14.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

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