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Beyond forgiving the man who brutally murdered their father, the Godwins share their deep pain and heartbreak for Steve Stephens’ family.
“We lost our dad,” Tonya explains, “but this mother lost her son…his children lost their dad.”
They have a peace that surpasses all understanding, and unthinkable forgiveness. Both of which can only be found in Jesus Christ.
When Anderson Cooper hears the grace they’ve extended to Stephens’ family during their own time of grief and pain, he’s completely blown away.
“It’s just what our parents taught us,” Tonya responds. “[Our parents] just didn’t talk about it, they did it…they lived it…they lived forgiveness.”
She said her father would be proud of his children showing this type of forgiveness, referencing Jesus’ final words to God on the cross: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
The forgiveness of the Godwin family truly parallels that of Jesus Christ, and what the events leading up to Easter Sunday are all about—forgiveness that was never deserved, and grace that surpasses all understanding.
“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8