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Witholding Forgiveness? Consider this

Cheryl Kramarczyk • Feb 23, 2022

Today I'm excited to welcome Cheryl Kramarczyk to my blog as she shares about forgiveness and how that plays into not only her own life, but the lives of her characters, too. Keep reading, because she's offering to randomly draw for a winner of either an ebook or paperback (US only) of her latest release, "Stay with Me".


Withholding forgiveness? Consider this: Would you pay back a debt that has already been paid?


That was a question posed by fictional character Tucker to his girlfriend, Penelope.


Here’s the direct quote: “Penny, what is freedom if you insist on paying back a debt that’s already been paid?”


I’ll be honest with you. When I wrote that line in my novella “Stay with Me,” I started weeping.


Alligator tears, I tell you.


That truth burrowed deep into my soul and uncovered something I should have known, but had forgotten. A truth I needed to hear.

Because this is me.


Like Penelope, my hands are empty. She wounded Tucker, and the pain she caused him is too deep for him to simply let her off the hook. Forgiving her won’t undo the harm she did to him. 


But that’s just it!


Just as there’s nothing Penelope can do to deserve Tucker’s forgiveness, there’s nothing, no matter how huge or how wonderful, that can put me in a right relationship once I’ve offended someone. To reconcile a relationship, I can only accept forgiveness when it’s offered.


That’s all!


My only choice is to acknowledge that my debt has been paid. Nothing more needs to be done. I can walk out of the prison of my guilt and shame. Unshackled and unbounded. Free.


Let that sink in.


Who is it that has extended forgiveness to you? I challenge you to make the leap and accept such grace with both hands!


Hello! My name is Cheryl Kramarczyk (pronounced Kra-MAR-check). If you’d like to read more, Tucker and Penelope’s love story, “Stay with Me,” is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Me-novella-Cheryl-Kramarczyk/dp/1735474231


Psst! For a chance to win a Kindle or paperback copy (your choice!) of “Stay with Me,” leave a comment on this blog post!


As you might have guessed, I write Christian Romance about disappointment and hardship, and finding forgiveness and identity.


Why do I write about such topics?


Because I can’t play guitar. (I’m super jealous of those with musical talent!) So, as an outlet for my pent-up thoughts, I think up characters, give them painful backstories, and learn how they dig themselves out.


Sign up for my newsletter here: https://cherylkramarczyk.ck.page/8cb6f702aa and along with getting a sneak-peak of future writing, I’ll email you a printable version of “Before You Withhold Forgiveness, Consider These Five Truths.”


Okay, folks, now I have a question for you: Who of you plucks a guitar?!


Answer in the comment section and I’ll gush how amazing you are!


And if you’re like me and don’t have that musical inclination, I want to hear from you too! Us wannabes gotta stick together, right?


Ways to find me:

Website: https://www.cherylkramarczyk.com

Email: cheryl@cherylkramarczyk.com

Facebook: Cheryl Kramarczyk the Author

Free printable: “Before You Withhold Forgiveness, Consider These Five Truths” by clicking this link https://cherylkramarczyk.ck.page/8cb6f702aa

Amazon:

“Stay with Me” link https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Me-novella-Cheryl-Kramarczyk/dp/1735474231

“Return to Me” link https://www.amazon.com/Return-Me-novella-Cheryl-Kramarczyk/dp/1735474215/


Remember, everyone who posts a comment will be in the raffle for a copy of “Stay with Me,” so don’t delay!


About Cheryl:

Cheryl Kramarczyk writes romance where miracles don’t happen and yet the character of God is magnified. When she isn’t writing and rewriting, you’ll find her in a hospital working as a lab tech or enjoying the adventure of homeschooling two young sons with her husband in the beautiful city of Chicago, Illinois. Click on the link https://cherylkramarczyk.ck.page/8cb6f702aa to get her free printable “Before You Withhold Forgiveness, Consider These Five Truths.”


Excerpt:

Penelope’s satin dress pasted to her stomach. She’d gained less than five pounds while in Germany, but her evening gown made her feel every ounce. The dusty-pink complemented the natural blush of her cheeks, but as she walked on her father’s arm, she wished she’d chosen something less clingy.

“Straighten your shoulders.” Her father’s voice was gruff and low, his eyes straight ahead as they took the stairs to the banquet hall.

She lifted her chin and her spine lengthened—although she hadn’t slouched since she was a little girl.

A rich purple banner spread over the open doors announcing her father’s fifty years as founder and owner of Roth Electronics in block gold letters.

It would take more than a brain full of cotton from a twenty-one-hour plane ride and her father’s mean glare to keep her away tonight. He had balked at her conviction, but she had expected as much. A little friction wouldn’t stop her from seeing her plan through. It was for the betterment of his company, after all.

A waiter passed them, filling the air with smoked salmon and lemon vinaigrette. Senior management in black suits and ties gathered in small groups, enjoying her father’s generosity, although increasing a company’s morale before a heavy transition was hardly selfless.

Three months ago, she would have been proud of her father, but recently her eyes had opened to a greater vision.

Her father paused to exchange pleasantries with a colleague. She smiled at the appropriate times, but snuck glances to scan the room.

The CEO of Whitestone Distributors wouldn’t miss her father’s gala. Her eyes passed over the heads of the managers who reported to her. For the past six months Tucker Caldwell had worked hard and listened well, despite her father having large shoes to fill. And he had excelled, the quality of a promising entrepreneur.

Glossy posters lined the walls, displaying the very start-up of her father’s company. An enlarged black-and-white photo of the grainy image depicting her father in his twenties with his first three employees. Where they had found the fifty-year-old semiconductor to put in the glass case she’d never know.

Her gaze fell on chestnut-brown hair that had been recently trimmed, the waves parted to the side. Broad shoulders filled his tailored suit.

The room spun for an instant. She lifted her hand to her throat, her pulse racing beneath her skin. Tucker laughed at something his colleague said and the corner of her mouth inched up. How could three months be swallowed in two seconds?

As if by a magnetic pull, Tucker turned and met her gaze. A smile slowly lifted his lips. Excusing himself, he made his way through the crowded room.

The blood in her veins turned freezing cold and her hand fell away, hanging limp at her side. She swept her attention back to the conversation, but her father was shaking hands, giving parting advice.

She swallowed against the grainy surface of her throat, the pit of her stomach becoming rock hard.

Tucker extended his hand toward her father. “Henry, welcome back.”

 


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