Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Who is a God like you, who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but instead delights in mercy,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our iniquities? (Micah 7:18-19, NABRE)
Sometimes, it’s one particular comment or incident. Other times, 
it’s the accumulation of months or years of bullying, teasing, or other bad behavior. But the breaking point is reached. It’s the end of the marriage, and you know it, regardless of your best efforts in counseling or trying to talk it out. It’s when you force a loved one with an addiction out of your home because it’s no longer safe for others if he or she remains. It’s when you stop interacting with a friend, whether you break up with a sticky note, an email, a difficult phone call or in-person conversation… or by simply disappearing.
However you do it and whenever you do it, it’s done. And often, that’s the healthiest thing for everyone involved.
Fortunately, that is not how the Lord works. We can push and push and push Him away. We can ignore his gentle but persistent nudges. We can complain that a loving God would not allow the world small and large to operate as it does. Doesn’t matter. As long as we’re breathing, He will continue to love us, continue to fling open His arms in hopes of welcoming us back into His fold. And with that compassion and mercy beyond understanding, when we have identified our guilt and offered contrition, He will wipe it away. And He will do this again and again, regardless of how many triggering incidents would drive any man or woman away for good.
As Micah notes, there is no one like Him. No one. So grab Him and hold on for eternal life.
