Forgiveness, Part 1 (Episode 5 - Archive)Forgiveness, Part 1 (Episode 5 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about what forgiveness can look like when relationships stay broken, drawing on Christian faith and personal stories. Their conversation reflects on letting go of resentment, trusting God’s grace, and accepting that some healing may not happen in this life.
8:49•30 Sept 2026
Forgiveness, Grace and Messy Relationships in Recovery
Episode Overview
- Forgiveness does not always mean restoring closeness; it can mean wanting good for someone while letting go of resentment.
- Some relationships may never heal, yet God is believed to offer unlimited grace and forgiveness beyond human limits.
- You only control your own responses and attitudes, not whether another person returns or reconciles.
- Seeing people honestly involves acknowledging both their good and bad qualities rather than idealising them.
- Trusting God’s justice and grace can ease the burden of trying to fix every hurt or act as "God" in other people’s lives.
“"Forgiveness means that I need to get to a place where I pray for their good... that I can let it go."”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of forgiveness, faith and messy relationships. In this instalment of Relational Recovery, host Wes Thompson and co-host Austin Hill chat candidly about what forgiveness looks like when life is far from tidy. The conversation centres on a Christian perspective of recovery, where forgiveness is framed as something God does perfectly and humans do imperfectly.
Austin shares the powerful story of Jean Valjean and the bishop from *Les Misérables*, using it to show God’s "unlimited grace, unlimited forgiveness" while reminding you that this doesn’t mean you should "let people abuse" or hurt you. Instead, it’s about accepting that some relationships simply won’t heal, yet trusting that everyone "can be redeemed to God". Wes adds his own experience of strained relationships, explaining that forgiveness, for him, isn’t becoming close again.
As he puts it, "forgiveness means that I need to get to a place where I pray for their good" and let go of resentment, even while staying apart. It’s a very human, honest take that many in recovery will recognise—wanting good for someone who has hurt you without pretending everything is fine. Austin then talks about his dad’s sudden death and the painful realisation of harmful words and actions that can never be addressed face to face.
He admits he could let that "eat me alive" but instead chooses to focus on what he can control and trust God to "heal me in the ways that I couldn't because my dad's not here." The episode repeatedly returns to this idea: seeing people truthfully—good and bad—while trusting that God’s forgiveness "fills the gaps in our relationships".
If you’re wrestling with past hurts, broken connections or guilt that won’t let go, this conversation offers a grounded, faith-filled way to think about forgiveness that doesn’t demand perfection from you or anyone else. How might your recovery change if you stopped trying to be God and simply took care of what you can control today?
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