Today's episode is crazy special. We get to be updated on an amazing story from last season. Larry and Connie Van Oosten were looking forward to a quiet retirement in the small, peaceful town of Erie, Illinois. They’d worked hard and planned well. Little did they know that a man had spent over a year and a half working hard on a plan to kidnap and terrorize them to get to their hard-earned retirement savings. They had an unshakable faith in God that helped them survive the ordeal, but would it be enough to help them stay strong once they realized the kidnapper was someone they knew?

This is Season 4, Episode 23. Our book this week is Rescued For a Reason and our guests are Connie and Larry VanOosten. I’m going to quickly recap their story but you can listen more in depth by following these links to listen to the two part episode that describes their story more in depth:

Season 3, Episode 21: Where is Your God Now, Part 1: The Kidnapping

Season 3, Episode 22: Where is Your God Now, Part 2: The Aftermath

We all want to believe that we are safe in our home, and usually we are. The problem is that we don’t always get a warning when that is going to change. That's why I wrote “In God We Trust, Everyone Else Gets a Background Check”. It will be available on June 27th and I’ve packed it full of practical tips, bible verses, and encouragement. Make sure you listen to next week’s episode when I’ll read a short passage so you can get a taste of what it’s all about.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15 NLT

I know this sounds Pretty straightforward, but of course, this is hyperbole. I’m not suggesting that we can lose our salvation if we are struggling to forgive someone. But I am suggesting that we consider how harboring a spirit of unforgiveness puts distance between us and God. It strains our relationship. Forgiveness is a lot of things but first and foremost it is an act of obedience. We often think it is a feeling that must develop before we can apply it. I know I’ve been guilty of that myself.

Multiple researchers have shown that smiling, even when we don’t feel like it, can make a difference in our physical well-being. Just Google “research about how smiling makes you happy” to see it all. The act influences the feeling just as much as the feeling influences the act. That’s how we should approach forgiveness in really tough situations. If we forgive even when we don’t feel like it, that conscious act of obedience will soften our hearts and allow God to minister to us even more deeply.

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