Forgiveness

Forgiveness is something we all need.

I am referring not only to forgiveness for all of the terrible things we do from day to day that God needs to forgive us for, but also the terrible subset that we do to the people we care about.

Marriage was created by God and is often used as a model for the relationship between Christ and the church.  And the thing is you often screw up and hurt the people we are closest to.  Like God and your spouse.  But, they forgive you.

Forgiveness is an amazing concept.  It is something that is full of love and grace.  Like parents who continue to love and forgive their children time after time.

Some people say they can forgive, but they can’t forget.  Sometimes, I question if that is true forgiveness.  I am not saying that forgetting is easy.  That is what God does for us through Jesus… And it is big.  So big.  But, for the rest of us, just forgetting a deep hurt is not easy.  We remember, we relive it…. It sticks with you as a part of things.  But, I think even though you remember, there is a difference between not forgetting in a remembering sense and not forgetting in a still not letting the person get away with anything and making them and yourself feel terrible.

I am not belittling big hurts in life.  I have had a big hurt or two.  The kind that haunts you. I have friends who have lived through more than most people can imagine.  Forgiveness was a struggle.  It continues to be a struggle to deal with some aspects of it.  But, with God and through love, forgiveness comes.

When you love someone, sometimes the hurts sting more.  You want so much to understand and yet you want so much to have the person know how it made you feel.  But, we are taught to forgive.  I think love helps with the forgiving process.  When you love someone, you want to forgive, no matter what the hurt.  Maybe not instantly (it probably should be, but it is not necessarily).

Marriage is for life.  So, you might as well forgive and work through things.  Otherwise, it is going to be a very long and unhappy forever.  God gave us the capability to forgive and the example through His Son because He loves us.

I have seen people who have carried big hurts their whole lives.  And sometimes it takes until they are unwell and dying before the truth comes out.  More times than I would like to see, I have seen parents ask for children they haven’t seen in years.  I have heard people voice regrets about forgiveness and hurts that cannot be resolved person to person at this point.  Honestly, it is a good reminder to me to forgive people and maintain relationships.  It is also wonderful to see resolution, but heartbreaking to see people’s anguish when the resolution does not come.

Forgiveness is something that I think we brush off sometimes.  But, it is quite significant.

I have been going through a bigger than usual Classic Crime phase and have re-listened to this song. 

It talks about love and forgiveness in relationships.  I quite like it and feel it does relate to my relationship and that of many others.  We screw up, we confess and we forgive.  Forgiveness is part of real love.  Thank goodness God really loves us.