Forgiving Everything

As you can see, my posting is becoming fewer and far between but that will end soon! I have two more weeks of full time teaching before I am a free woman! April 2nd is the beginning of a week long break because it is spring break for my class...then I go back for two weeks just for observation purposes. That means, no lesson planning, no staying late after school or arriving 2 hours early, and no Sunday grading! I am so excited to be back in my home with time to make dinner and...blog! I know that having a job will bring these time constraints but at least I will be working on lessons for my own classroom in the way that I want to implement my curriculum. I also will not have the pressure of grad school write-ups, thesis papers, and discussion entries. Praise Jesus! Graduation on April 30th cannot come soon enough. Are you tired of me complaining about how busy I am? Probs :)

With that said...I'll stop!

Once again...a week filled with so many things to be grateful for. Today is day 17 of 31 days of gratitude and instead of back filling my week, I want to just blog about today...Forgiving Everything.

"Many people have had a time in their life when the

thought of forgiveness was so overwhelming they couldn't

even consider it. But because God knows how the root of bitterness

can poison and strangle, he sometimes uses an unexpected

episode to teach us how to forgive and then to give thanks.

This process can occur in an instant of realization

or it can evolve over time...

It was suddenly clear to me that as long as I separate myself

from even one person, I separate myself from God. How self-righteous I

had been. How arrogant!...

No one can take my good away. My life is a gift from God,

and every experience, no matter how painful

or confusing or hurtful, can draw me closer

to him if I allow it to. He has taught me to forgive-and then to give

thanks- in everything."

The above words are bits of pieces of Karen's story that she tells of not being able to forgive the woman in which her husband left her for. She explains that she eventually was able to forgive this woman but after many years of hurt, anger, bitterness, and the inability to let go. I cannot imagine being in Karen's situation but I do know that it doesn't always make sense to forgive those who hurt you. Society tells us that if someone hurts you in any way, shape, or form that we should give them what they deserve...take away friendship, hurt them back, and that they do not deserve forgiveness. This is actually the opposite of what Jesus calls us to as Christians. We are to love as He loved and that means practicing forgiveness always in every situation. He forgave us by dying on the cross so why do we feel that it is okay to hold on to every wrong-doing that another has committed against us? It isn't.

Now, I am not saying that this is easy to do. Forgiveness is difficult and oftentimes takes a lot of time to truly forgive someone. And once we eventually forgive them, are we able to love them again? Seems impossible at times I'm sure but it is possible! 

As I reflect on forgiveness and how it impacts my experience and expression of gratitude, I realize that I oftentimes have a lack of forgiveness. I might say with my mouth that I forgive someone but then continue to hold bitterness and hurt in my heart.

Today, I am grateful for the constant forgiveness I receive from my sweet husband. I continue to fail him over and over yet he loves me and forgives me even in times when this is hard to do. We both realize that we are not perfect people and we know that a life without forgiveness for one another would be miserable and full of bitterness...so thank you Matt! 

Today, I want to challenge you to think of one person that you need to forgive...start praying for a changed heart towards that person so that you are able to truly forgive them and love them again.