*IT’S SO EASY TO FORGIVE MOST OF THE TIME, ISN’T IT? I MEAN, ONCE YOU GET PAST THE HURT, THE ANGER, THE BETRAYAL…….AS LONG AS THE PERSON WHO WRONGED YOU SHOWS TRUE REMORSE. AS LONG AS THEY REALLY ARE SORRY, FORGIVENESS IS A LITTLE EASIER. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SECOND TIME, THE THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH? JESUS, IN ESSENCE, SAID FORGIVE “SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN”….AND THAT IF WE DON’T FORGIVE, WE WON’T BE FORGIVEN.

AND HERE’S WHAT I’VE BEEN LEARNING. I HAVE BEEN HURT DEEPLY MANY TIMES (HAVEN’T WE ALL??!)….BUT THIS PARTICULAR TIME HAS BEEN BY THE SAME PERSON, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND I HAVE CONTINUED TO FORGIVE. HOWEVER, THIS PERSON HAS NEVER, NOT ONCE, ADMITTED DOING ANY WRONG TOWARDS ME. AND I DOUBT THIS PERSON EVER WILL. THAT’S HARD. FORGIVENESS IS A TAD HARDER WHEN SOMEONE WHO IS A CHILD OF GOD, WHO KNOWS BETTER, CONTINUES TO HURT YOU….WITHOUT EVEN SEEING HOW HURTFUL THEY’VE BEEN. WHAT I HAVE DONE; I HAVE FORGIVEN. (AND HONESTLY, IT WASN’T THAT EASY….I STRUGGLED FOR A WHILE WITH IT.) BUT I REALIZED THAT I BOTH WANT TO, AND AM CALLED TO. AND I PRAY FOR THIS PERSON. AS HARD AS THAT IS SOMETIMES, I DO. AND IT IS HARDER ON SOME DAYS. ESPECIALLY WHEN I REMEMBER THE WRONG HANDED TO ME, OR WHEN THIS PERSON HURTS ME ALL OVER AGAIN. BECAUSE ONE THING I’VE LEARNED IN LIFE IS THAT USUALLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE JUST DOWNRIGHT HORRIBLE, NASTY, HATEFUL, SELFISH, RUDE…(AND I’M TALKING ABOUT CHRISTIAN PEOPLE, THE ONES WHO TRULY KNOW BETTER…)…WHEN PEOPLE EXHIBIT THOSE BEHAVIOURS…..THEY ARE HURTING. THEY ARE MISERABLE, AND THOUGH THEY MAY NOT EVEN KNOW IT, THEY WANT OTHERS TO FEEL THAT SAME HURT. (I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE TO ALWAYS EXCUSE HURTFUL BEHAVIOUR.....THERE COMES A TIME WHEN WE DO FORGIVE....YET THROUGH THAT FORGIVENESS, WE STILL HAVE TO CREATE DISTANCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE HARMING US OR OUR LOVED ONES. I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE CALLED TO BE DOORMATS.)

FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO WRONGED YOU TODAY, WHETHER THEY ASK FOR IT OR NOT. YOUR SPIRIT WILL REST MUCH BETTER. DON’T EXCUSE THEIR BEHAVIOUR, BECAUSE IT DOES NEED TO STOP. BUT FORGIVE THEM. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO, YOU NEED TO, AND MORE THAN THAT….JESUS SAID TO.

AND IF YOU’RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, (WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE, TOO….) DON’T LET PRIDE STOP YOU. DO IT QUICKLY, DON’T WAIT. GO AHEAD AND GET PAST YOURSELF AND THINK OF HOW WE’RE CALLED TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

***EDIT: I JUST WANTED TO PUT YOUR MINDS AT EASE....AFTER READING THIS, IT SEEMS THAT I MAY BE TALKING ABOUT MY HUSBAND. NO, IT'S NOT HIM. HE'S A WONDERFUL HUSBAND. AND WHO IT'S ABOUT ISN'T REALLY IMPORTANT....I WROTE THIS TO SHARE WHAT I'VE LEARNED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS ABOUT FORGIVENESS. I HOPE IT HELPED SOMEONE.