Forgiveness Brings Forth Transformation
- Jan 5
- 3 min read
By Jacqueline Goodwin
“For if ye forgive men their trespass, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” — Matthew 6:14
There was a time when my mind was a battlefield — filled with memories of betrayal, abuse, and pain. I knew God forgave me, yet I struggled to forgive those who brutalized, belittled, and trampled over my soul. It was in that struggle that the Holy Spirit began teaching me one of the greatest truths of my life: forgiveness is transformation.
My healing began not on a therapist’s couch, but with a pen in my hand and a prayer in my heart. Writing became the place where my pain met purpose. Each word I wrote was a confession, a release, and a revelation. As I poured my brokenness onto paper, I began to see that the very experiences I once hid from were the same stories God would use to set others free.
My Writing Journey
The first time I wrote about my pain, it felt like reopening an old wound. But as I wrote, the Lord whispered, “I have pardoned thee.” Suddenly, the pages before me became sacred ground. My pen became a vessel of deliverance, and my story — once filled with shame — became a testimony of grace.
That was the birth of my first book and eventually my ministry. Every chapter was a conversation between me and God. I learned that healing is not just about what you let go of; it’s about what you allow God to write anew. The more I wrote, the freer I became. My pen began to rewrite the narrative of my life from pain to purpose, from bitterness to better.
Lessons Learned
Writing taught me that transformation begins in the mind. Before the heart can release pain, the mind must first perceive freedom. My mind once replayed the memories of being betrayed, violated, and lied on — but as I began journaling scriptures and affirmations of forgiveness, my thoughts shifted.
I realized that to forgive is to free yourself. Through writing, I watched bitterness turn into breakthrough. What once bound me became the very story that blessed others.
The Healing Power of Storytelling
Each sentence I wrote reminded me that Jesus also wrote His story through pain. Hanging on the cross, He uttered, “Father, forgive them.” That was not weakness — that was transformation. He was no longer bound to His earthly body but elevated into His divine purpose.
In the same way, when we forgive through the act of writing, we rise above the weight of our wounds. The pen gives pain a voice, and that voice becomes a bridge for others who are still trapped in silence.
Encouragement for Aspiring Authors
If God has placed a story in your spirit, don’t hide it — write it.
Writing is not about perfection; it’s about permission — giving yourself permission to be real, raw, and redemptive. Start where the hurt began, even if your hands tremble. Let your journal become your altar. As you write, you’ll discover that the same pen that records your pain also writes your healing.
Your story has the power to ignite hope in someone else’s darkness. What you’ve endured was never meant to bury you — it was meant to birth purpose. When you choose to forgive through your words, transformation follows.
So pick up your pen, daughter of purpose. Write until the chains fall off, write until forgiveness flows freely, and write until your pain turns into power — because the pen is the instrument God uses to turn your story into His glory.
Connect With Jacqueline
Facebook: Healing in the Vessel International Ministries | From Bitter to Better | Personal
Instagram: @lenisegoodwin
Twitter/X: @Jacquel58497682
TikTok: @authorjacquelinegoodwin
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