Forgiveness...Part 2

Forgiveness...

Disclaimer: This post is a little disjointed at the time, so many concepts are pouring out that my "flow jo" just isn't here. However, the principles presented are still true.

Sometimes, there are other things in life that bring us to wanting to make things right. Maybe, you are at the age in your life, where you don't want to look back with regrets. Maybe you are sick and don't have a lot of time left, maybe you are racked with torment, or just plain tired of holding on to things that don't need to be. Whatever is motivating you to forgive someone or seek forgiveness from someone, go with it.

I know it's hard.  I'm living it right now. But I am at that point, where I don't want to have one more day, where I regret not letting someone know how much I love them.

If the bar is set at forgiveness is necessary, I'm going to raise it by saying forgiving and forgetting is necessary. I am going to make a case against the ever popular saying, "I can forgive but I can't/won't forget."

"True forgiveness is unconditional and not predicated on any act or request from the offender. The type of forgiveness discussed here is intended to free you from the impotent rage, depression, and despair that nursing a grievance causes. Stop saying "I forgive, but I won't forget". When you have that attitude, you truly did not forgive. One day it will get easier when you practice these principles in this article and when you finally have a backflash, you will simply smile and say..."Thank you Lord". Our experiences we have are to actually make us stronger and allows us to grow."

In referencing Jesus Christ and his suffering and forgiveness example it was said in a talk,

"How could He forgive His tormenters at that moment? With all that pain, with blood having fallen from every pore, still He was thinking of others. This is yet one more amazing evidence that He really was perfect and intends us to be also. In the Sermon on the Mount, before He stated that perfection is our goal, He gave something of a last requirement. He said all must “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)."

I will look up the quote to give proper credit, I just copied and pasted, sorry! But the point is, would we want our Lord "to forgive us but not forget?"

Do you want to look back on your life with not a lot of time left, and regret and have remorse, that you wasted all that time you could have spent building each other and lifting each other, and instead hung on to that anger, malice, and hatred. Or maybe you have told yourself, "I forgive them but I am not going to step in that place again and open up for hurt." Wrong answer! It's our duty to see each person's story. Look at their hurt, look at their call for love. Remember whatever isn't love is a call for love. 

My responsibility, as I go through the lessons of forgiveness, is to forgive, ask to be forgiven, and to open my heart for move love.

If we are to have unity, there are commandments we must keep concerning how we feel. We must forgive and bear no malice toward those who offend us. The Savior set the example from the cross: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34). We do not know the hearts of those who offend us.”

I can't control whether or not someone else is accepting of my plea for forgiveness, or the forgiveness I extend, but I do not want to look back and wish I had not wasted time on such emotions that give rise to contentious feelings. I want to look back and say, "I learned a lot, and I made mistakes, but I did everything in my power to make things right."

My friend's grandma recently expressed her regret after having a heart attack at the age of 90. Grandma A said, "I wish I hadn't let all that time pass without communicating with so and so." So as my friend told me this story she said she didn't want to look back when she was 90 and have the same regret.

I don't want to look back next week and have those thoughts. I don't want to wish I had treated anyone with less love than God's love. Then, when I am at death's door no matter how soon it comes, I won't regret that I made the efforts. But really the real reason is because I want to love.