True Forgiveness

Forgiveness Sunday, it's a day when you set aside all of the pettiness and anger against other people. You set it aside, and you don't pick it back up. It's gone forever...or at least it should be.

Every year when I participate in Forgiveness Sunday, I really hope that all the things I've been angry or upset or frustrated about are gone forever. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to succeed at this, at least for me anyway. At some point after I have cast aside my grievances, I begin to find them again. Whether it's the same week or next month, I pick them back up, and sometimes I don't even realize it until it's happened. Simply using past transgressions as ammo for an argument, or talking about them with others to express our anger with something, they come back. We let them come back. I let them come back. I've never really taken the time to sit down and think about this. How difficult it really is to forgive another! When God forgives us, He absolves our sins. They are gone, and we are clean again. It's a beautiful feeling to be forgiven, truly forgiven, but when we refuse to forgive each other we are robbing ourselves of God's grace and forgiveness.

I have to ask myself why I can't forgive as easily as I should. Who am I to hold onto past transgressions? Regardless of whether someone else is sorry or not, I'm no better if I cannot see past my own pride and forgive. Ah, there it is. Pride. We don't forgive because we are prideful. This person hurt me, and I have a right to be angry. They don't deserve my forgiveness. Here's the deal. Forgiveness is not about what you deserve. If that were the case, we'd all be in big trouble. Forgiveness is about love and mercy. God loves us, and chooses to forgive us no matter how many times we sin against Him. That is completely amazing to me! And we should learn to do the same. So as it is Forgiveness Sunday, I must ask. Please, forgive me a sinner.

God bless,

Bella