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当我走进敬老院长长的走廊时，我见到一位特别的朋友，和她正坐着的轮椅相比，她的身躯显得尤其矮小。她的身量已不如从前，然而，每次和她交谈时，她清晰的头脑总能经得起考验。我很开心能再次见到她。

我和她打招呼时，看到她悲伤扭曲的面孔，她满脸都是泪水。我轻声问她为何如此伤心，她告诉我，她的一位近亲去世了，她立刻补充说：“那不是我伤心的原因。我并不喜欢她，可是我从来没有为她祷告。”

我可以说什么安慰的话呢？

我说：“这是很痛苦的——我们无法改变已成为过去的事。”

然而，我难道再没有其他的话可以说吗？

感谢神，我们也可以指出一个事实：“神知道怎样去赦免我们的过去的。”这正是我随后对我的朋友所做的。

于是，我们便一起领受了这个真理：“我们若认自己的罪，神是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。”这个好消息告诉我们，神爱我们，祂完全赦免我们，又赐我们新的生命。

我的朋友需要这个好消息，我也需要它，我们每一个人都需要它。

感谢神——这实在是一个好消息。祂赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。

As I entered the long hall of the nursing floor, I saw a special friend, her small frame dwarfed by her wheelchair. She had lost some of her stature, but her sharp mind was up to a challenge any time we talked. My heart warmed in seeing her again.

As I greeted her, I saw that her face was twisted in grief; tears flowed down her cheeks. I gently asked about her sadness. She told me that a close relative had died. But then she added, "That's not what is making me so sad. I didn't like her. I never prayed for her."

What can we say?

I said, "It's painful - we can't undo the past."

But there is more to say, isn't there?

Thank God, we can also say what I pointed out next to my friend: "God is very good at forgiving our past."

And together we claimed the truth: "If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." That's the good news of God's love for us. He forgives us completely and gives us a new life to live.

My friend needed this good news. I need it. We all need it.

And thank God—it is truly good news. He forgives us our sins and purifies us from all unrighteousness.