Forgiveness

Proverbs 10:12b, "Love covers over all wrongs."

From time to time I try to journal, believing that journaling is a good tool for growing spiritually. However, my commitment in that direction never seems to last longer than a week or two. I have several journals that I have started but never finished.

Pastor Matt sent us an email this week saying it had been quite helpful to him during the years to write down each day what he said to God and what God said to him. So I hitched up my determination and pulled out a partially finished journal, intending to try Mat's suggestion. My eyes, however, fell on the last entry I had written, and I was astonished to see my anger flowing all over the page.

One of the qualities I cherish in a person the most is dependability. You know how literally and completely children believe adults will keep any promises they make, and I guess I've never really outgrown that expectation myself. But a person had made me a promise one afternoon and had broken it before nightfall, very blatantly choosing to do something other than what he/she had promised me. I was hurt, disappointed, frustrated, and angry. But as I read what I had written some weeks earlier, I realized that I had totally forgotten the incident. I did not run it over and over in my mind like a video to keep stoking my anger. In fact, I had long since forgiven this person even though he/she had no idea how angry I had been and had not asked for forgiveness.

The person concerned was someone I love and admire and respect and enjoy very much, and someone who loves me and has shown it in many tangible ways. I had put my anger behind and focused on all the wonderful attributes of this person and the pleasures of our relationship. I gave this person the gift of my forgiveness, but I was also reminded once again that the peace which comes from forgiving someone else is one of the best gifts we can ever give ourselves.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You have forgiven me of all my sins, and they are many. Thank You for the privilege and relief and joy of being able to forgive others as You have forgiven me. Never let me carry a grudge against anyone. Amen.