What happens when a parent's worst nightmare becomes reality? When Wilma Derksen's 13-year-old daughter Candace didn't return home from school one November day in 1984, it sparked one of Winnipeg's largest manhunts and began a journey through grief, justice systems, and ultimately, forgiveness that would span decades.
The discovery of Candace's body seven weeks later devastated her family, yet that very night, Wilma and her husband made an unexpected choice: "We're going to forgive." This seemingly impossible decision became their anchor through 22 years of uncertainty, not knowing who had taken their daughter's life, and the eventual court trials, convictions, appeals, and absence of closure.
Wilma's approach to forgiveness shatters conventional understanding. Rather than a single act or emotion, she reveals it as a complex, multi-dimensional process that engages the whole person: body, mind, heart, spirit, and community. Her framework, which she calls "Forgiveness to the Power of 5," offers a roadmap for anyone struggling with seemingly unforgivable circumstances.
Most powerfully, Wilma's journey led her into prisons where she shared her story with inmates – creating moments of "beautiful harmony" as both victims and offenders recognized their shared need for forgiveness. Through this radical path, she discovered that "love is more powerful than murder" and that choosing forgiveness allowed Candace's memory to flourish rather than be defined by tragedy.
Malcolm Gladwell featured Wilma's story in his book "David and Goliath," recognizing the counterintuitive strength that emerged from her approach to overwhelming loss. Now, in her forthcoming book "Impossible Forgiveness to the Power of 5," Wilma offers her hard-won wisdom to anyone seeking to break free from resentment and find healing through forgiveness.
Whether you're facing your own seemingly impossible situation or simply seeking to understand the transformative power of forgiveness, Wilma's story demonstrates how choosing to "let go of the negative and step into the positive" can become not just a decision but a way of life.
You can learn more with Wilma through her writing and website.
And you can share this episode using hashtag #Evangelical360 and join the conversation online!
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