As days turned into weeks, they began to do what was very unnatural – they began to ask questions about the woman who had killed their child. What kind of person was she? What about her family? Was she an alcoholic? Why? What kind of nightmare was shewalking through? What brought her to that collision on Interstate 80 in Nebraska? Unnatural questions because Bill and Cindy belonged to an unnatural God. And in belonging to an unnatural God, through the outpouring of His unnatural grace, they began todo the unnatural. They both chose to see Verma Harrison as God sees her. They both chose to love her; they both chose to forgive.
Several lengthy letters began to connect Verma and the Griffiths. Bill and Cindy began to see the Verma who had been broken by life – and who was also broken by the accident. No one denied or minimized the wrong that had been done. No one denied or minimized the heart-wrenching pain that followed. The requirements of the legal system were still followed. Verma herself had been a believer, but the reality of God had been distant. The Griffiths made God real to her. Letters were followed by phone calls, and it wasn’t long before Cindy met Verma in person, and later, Bill did as well.
Cindy believed that in reaching out to Verma, she was giving to Verma what God had given her – love and forgiveness. Bill chose forgiveness for a different, but equally valid reason – Bill did not want evil to win. With forgiveness, God’s light could shine in the darkness. Did forgiveness erase the pain of their loss? No, but it did help to quiet it, and it gave them the freedom to know God’s grace more fully and the freedom to walk forward. Healing was deepened and memories were softened. Beauty and purpose were resurrected from the horrendous. It was unnatural, but their unnatural God gave them unnatural grace.
(Related Bible reading: Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 5:14,15)
