Turning a Cheek

No one can hurt you quite as much as a close friend.
 I just recently turned fifty and celebrated my birthday, mostly alone, preparing for a Texas ice storm. It wasn’t that my friends and family didn’t want to be with me, but sometimes cold bitter realities take precedence and change our plans.
 At least when the weather prevents us from doing something, we can find comfort in knowing it was beyond our control. But when you discover that a close friend has been lying to you, it’s hard not to blame yourself for not seeing through their deceit. “I should have known better. How could I have fallen for their lies?”
 I suspect that for most people my age, it’s common to have tasted the salty tears of betrayal. Looking back I’ve definitely had more than my fair share of broken friendships. Maybe that explains the foundational theme so prominent in my novels. 
 In Bag of Lies, Michael and Lucky are the best of friends, and for Michael, friendship is everything. However, things quickly unravel when loyalty comes into question. There’s nothing so destructive as a lie between friends.
 Betrayal usually leads to bitterness. But that’s not the purpose of my novels. The betrayals in and of themselves are not the focus. The strength between loyalty and genuine friendship is the true message. What do you do with the hurt of betrayal? How do you trust someone, once that trust is broken? These aren’t easy questions, but they lead to the heart of my books. What about revenge? Can it fix the devastation of a lie? 
 Scripture tells us to turn the other cheek and forgive. Forgiveness… What a powerful response to pain, and yet, so difficult too. What is the secret to abandoning revenge and embracing forgiveness?