Forgiveness is a Hard Thing to do

Everyone of us has had the need for forgiveness in our lives whether we were the forgiver or the one needing to be forgiven. Some offenses are extreme and seem justified in not forgiving, while others are minor and easy to forgive, but do we?

One time, many years ago, I had a friend that I really liked. I learned a lot of things from her. She did something one day that made me upset so I went to someone else to complain, she overheard me saying something about it but I did not see her standing there. She was mad when I called her the next time and I begged her to tell me why. Finally, after several calls, she told me why. I was so upset with myself for offending her. She was my friend and you don't treat friends like that.

I begged her to forgive me but she couldn't at that time. It took awhile for her to get past my selfish act, it really was a petty thing for me to ruin a friendship over. I should have come to her to complain instead of someone else. The change in our friendship was my fault, I still ache over my stupidity. She has forgiven me but I'm not sure I have forgiven me; I am working on it.

This wasn't a small matter but it was something that wasn't as big as things that can't be given back, like life. How do we forgive someone when life is taken from us? Why does God require us to forgive all things?

Over the years I have discovered that I have two choices, I could live with an unforgiving heart and keep the pain forever, or I could forgive and be free from the pain. It's hard to explain the release you feel when you have truly forgiven someone of a terrible injustice. I haven't lost someone to murder but I have lost a child to something that was supposed to protect her, an immunization shot. Who do I blame for this? It took a while to get over, I even got made at God but I was given the peace in my life once I started the forgiveness process.

I believe we are commanded to forgive everyone because it helps us to be free from the chains of sorrow that hold us down and never let us move on in our lives. Having an unforgiving heart is like an illness that slowly kills you. There is a cure for it but sometimes it takes a long time to heal. But we have to have a positive state of mind in order to heal. 

We have the control over whether or not we forgive or don't, but it is a release from grief that helps us to heal. So God, in his wisdom, has told us to forgive knowing that we can begin that healing process. It has to come from us, no one else can do it for us.

It's not easy but deciding to heal is the only way we can find forgiveness and move on. We will not forget what things are done to us or someone we love, once things are said they will always be there and that is probably why I can't forget easily the wrong I did to my friend. But I do feel good about conquering the negative feelings of hate and anger that Satan plants in our hearts from wrong doings, I have the control for things in my heart, not him. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who commands us to do things that seem hard but in reality is for our good.

May this Nation heal from the wrong doings that are done against us and those we love, everyday. May there be peace in our hearts so we can offer that peace in the world.