No matter how forgiving you think you are, there is always something you hold on to and decide to keep a grudge. Nevermind how minor the offense was or how you, yourself, and you have done stuff to other people equally as bad or worse. So why wouldn't you just forgive and be happy? Why is it okay for you to wrong other people but not okay for them to wrong you? When is it fair or not fair? Who knows really? I don't but last night I read something during my nightly meditation and I realized how unfairly I judge people yet I do not judge myself. How unforgiving I can be for such minor things but forgiving of major things done to me or that I have done to other people. The world will never be perfectly balanced nor will I ever be or act perfect. All I can pray for is that I catch and correct my own mistakes before it's too late. Reading this small prayer book I bought at the L.A. Cathedral called "Blessings" seems to be a step in the right direction. Here's a little of what I read last night.
What if there was no such thing as forgiveness? What if, when you hurt someone, made a bad choice or disobeyed, that was just it and there was no chance to make it right? What if a relationship was destroyed by your actions and nothing could fix it?
That would make life pretty sad and hopeless, wouldn't it? Carry that thought past the human realm - what if there was no forgiveness from God? There would be no hope of a relationship with Him.
You need not worry about any of this thanks to the blessing of forgiveness. God's forgiveness is our model because it is complete. When we confess and repent of our sins, He forgives us. He will never throw those sins back us. He forgives and forgets.
That's the model for our relationships. Forgive and forget. It's a blessing to be forgiven and have a relationship restored. It's also a blessing to be the one who does the forgiving. Be as willing to be the forgiver as the one forgiven.
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