To Whom it May Concern

To whom it may concern,
I'm writing this letter to tell you that I forgive you.  Though you have hurt me deeply, I want you to know that I no longer harbor hatred towards you.  You have tormented me, laughed at me, and tried to steal the most important thing in my life from me, but I want you to know that none of that matters anymore. 
To whom it may concern,
I want you to know that I am really no different than you.  I have lied and cheated, I have hurled insults, and committed murder and adultery...even if only in my mind.  My God tells me that even the thought of those things is equal to me actually do them;  I am as guilty as you (Matthew 5:28). 
To whom it may concern,
The bible tells me that if I don't forgive you, my Father won't forgive me (Matthew 6:14-15).  It also says that seventy times seven times I should forgive you, so while you may continue to persecute me, each time I will say, "I forgive you" (Matthew 18:21-22). The bible tells me to bless you even though you curse me (1 Peter 3:9, Romans 12:14).  You see,  just like me, you were made in God's image, and just like me, He desires to know you.  I pray that someday you will know Him. 
To whom it may concern,
The hurt you inflicted on me didn't break me, it only made me stronger;  though you may never read this, and though I may never see you again on this earth, I forgive you.  I've let it all go because not forgiving you is against God's nature and I am not my own...I am His, bought with the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20).  You didn't break me because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26);  God breathes and mountains move, seas part, and the dead come to life again...evil has no power over me. 
To whom it may concern,
I've heard it said that "hurt people, hurt people".  Perhaps you are hurting too.  If so, I have a blessing for you:  God heals and He loves you.  He knows every hair on your head, every thought that passes through your mind, and He sees every tear that rolls down your cheek (Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7).  He is waiting for you to turn to Him. 
To whom it may concern,
I love you.  I love you because while I was still a sinner, Jesus loved me (Romans 5:8).  He taught me how to love and He taught me how to forgive.  If you are lost, He is the way. 
To whom it may concern,
You are in my prayers because Jesus tells me to love you and to pray for you no matter how much you hurt me (Matthew 5:44). 
To whom it may concern,
I hope that you join my family someday;  I hope that when Jesus meets you wherever you are, you see Him and choose to trust in Him (Genesis 16:13).  Just like me, He has already paid for your sins...all you have to do is believe, trust, and ask Him to live in you (Romans 10:9). 
To whom it may concern,
If someday someone hurts you as deeply as you have hurt me, remember my words to you.  If you find yourself drowning in pain, and fear, and hatred, turn to the only One who can rescue you.  In Him you will find the strength to forgive, hope for your future, and life eternally through His love.

***I wrote this as part of a healing process I've been going through;  I wrote it with several people in mind...it was time for me to let go,  to forgive, and to surrender everything to God.  Maybe you have been hurt by someone, or maybe you've hurt someone...consider forgiveness, or consider asking for forgiveness.  Our life on this earth is fleeting, we are here and gone in the blink of an eye...  When we harbor hurt, blame, and anger it starts to destroy who we are.  Christians especially need to be aware of the danger of not forgiving;  don't waste the short time you have here living in anger and fear.  Christ died for you;  He took on the sin of the world and placed forgiveness at your feet...freely.  Denying forgiveness to others is a contradiction to the life He called you to live.  No matter how deep your hurt runs, surrender it all...surrender it all to Him who can wash the pain, the betrayal, and the fear away.   When you surrender, forgiveness comes naturally, and through the cloud of pain you can start to see that the one who hurt you is loved by the same One who loves you.   Forgiveness is not an easy process, but a necessary one for those who chose to live for Christ.