Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be a hard pill to swallow, but just like all medicine that is displeasing to the human senses but vital to healing so is forgiveness.  Forgiveness is not a tool to make the other person feel better, but so that we can be healed and not have the burden of anger and sadness weighing on us.

The one thing that I have learned about forgiving and not holding a grudge is that while you are letting the anger eat away at your happiness and self-being the other person is enjoying life not even thinking about the wrong they have done to you.  They are living while you are wallowing in your bitterness.

A few years ago I was watching The Oprah Winfrey Show and I recall her telling an anecdote about how she was holding a grudge against someone and one day while she was on the street she saw that person smiling and laughing while walking into Tiffany's.  Oprah stated, that was when she knew she needed to let the grudge go because there that person was laughing going into Tiffany's not even thinking about the grievance they committed and Oprah was carrying around a grudge.

Like I stated in the beginning forgiveness is not about the other person it is about you.  A lot of good relationships end because people choose not to forgive one another.  People are selfish, unkind, thoughtless and downright mean, but choosing to forgive those character flaws only will help your bulb shine brighter.  So forgive, move on and forgetting is optional because we all know in this world of darkness we could use more shining light.

Thanks for reading!
(John 3:16)