Forgiveness

Every morning one of the first things that I do is get on Facebook and when you get on any social media site it is filled with politics. People are yelling at each other and pointing fingers. We're in the early stages of 'finding a new president'. It's going to be a long road.

After seeing the wave of 'news' a thought came into my head.

"What if we just forgave people?"

I've said that our society is callous and rude. Most of the time we are in a unforgiving world. I feel like we have to make everything a big deal. Forgiveness is something that you have to work for. You have to apologize at least twenty times, sob, feel the pain, especially when you're in the public eye.

I understand why people don't forgive immediately or ever. People have done beyond awful things to others. Some things I just could never understand. At the same time though doesn't it cause us pain when we don't forgive? Maybe even more than the person or persons that did us wrong? 

Last night while at work my manager got a text from my co-worker that was supposed to come in that day wasn't coming to work ever again. Since she was the one person who was closing that meant that I would have to stay and close, missing the bonfire last night. I was beyond angry, not just because I would miss the bonfire but because it was immature, irresponsible and just rude. After that my manager and I were just in a bad mood. The good thing is, is that we would just laugh at each other when we got an order wrong and we couldn't hear each other. I had this whole text planned out in my head to my ex co-worker. It was probably one of the longest texts that I had ever thought of. For some reason I didn't send it. I didn't even actually write it down. I felt something in me say. "What's that text going to do? Is it going to fix the problem at hand?" The answer is no. I probably wouldn't have gotten a text back or a 'sorry' maybe even a 'screw you.' I understand that this is such a small act of forgiveness or 'letting it go.' but still people can hold grudges for a long time. I remember my freshman year of high school my 'best friends' abandoned me because I was a Christian and I was different. I didn't understand what I had done to them to make them just not be my friend. I didn't care what religion they were why should they care what was mine? Of course I found new friends, friends that I wish I had been friends with my whole life. Still, rejection stays until you let it go. Someone said one time "I forgive but I don't forget.' Then do you actually forgive? I 'forgave' those friends but I didn't forget it. That's like saying 'I broke up with my abusive boyfriend but we're still sleeping together.' 

So where does God come into this?

Jesus was big on forgiveness, so much that he died for us. He forgave all those people who had done him wrong. The guards who whipped him, people who watched him carry the cross and made fun of us, Peter who betrayed him three times. The list goes on and on and on. One of the most famous bible verses is Matthew 18:21-22 

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

When we choose not to forgive we destroy the opportunity to grow and move on. Maybe there is a person or persons that you need to forgive and I think forgiveness takes time but trying is the first step. 

DFTBA

-AB