because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment

James 2:13  NIV

We have all heard that we should forgive others for their sins against us. That’s easier said than done. We want justice! We want retribution! We want revenge!

Read this wonderful story of true forgiveness!

Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans.

Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. 

Just try to imagine 91 days without talking or being able to move around. I get muscle cramps just thinking of it! There was one single toilet in the corner of their cramped quarters. It could only be flushed when someone else in the building also flushed to disguise the noise, I could only imagine the odors they were forced to live with!

It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God.

That’s not the way it started! Immaculee was confused and terrified like all the other women. She held fast to the rosary her father had given her, and passed most of her silent days in prayer with God. This is a prime example of how talking with God can become part of our daily…sometimes hourly existence!

In her bathroom hideout, Immaculee discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Matthew 5:7  (NIV)

Her journey of FORGIVENESS through the horrific life conditions she endured will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss.

Immaculee’s story will remind all of us of the human capacity for compassion and forgiveness, even in the most trying circumstances. It also reminds us that we are given the choice to respond to darkness with light.