Forgiveness

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:23

Forgiveness is never easy but then… it would not be worth while. To forgive someone else a wrong is more than emotional it is an act of the will. For if we live on emotions alone… we won’t forgive. There is simply too much fire in an emotional state to think rationally, to behave soberly. The ambers of anger must cool down enough to allow tenderness and mercy to breath.

And once breathed into life these two comfort the heart, quince the smoldering emotions, and warm the cooling heart. Hopefully, an once of reflection will occur and we will see… our own faults; and once seeing our coal-black nature we will seek forgiveness…

To forgive is to look beyond the offense and into the heart of the other. It is seeing the hurt, the pain, the anger, and the frustration that brought on the offense. It is seeing the humanity in another and recognizing one’s own limited and faulty nature.

Forgiveness frees our hearts and minds to give, to care, to hope, and to pray for the other. Anything and all insults are forgivable. True, at first we may need to put a rope around our donkey-stubborn-nature and drag our cranky attitudes to face our offender but after the first sacrifice… it does get easier.

Again and again it may prove difficult but after a short while the offense doesn’t hurt so much, the flame not so high, and the bitterness not so widespread. Over time true forgiveness can occur and ‘by and by’ forgiveness will turn an offender to a friend.

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