One of the most difficult things to do in our lives is to forgive others and most importantly to forgive ourselves. We all have had circumstances in our lives that deserve our forgiveness however we sometimes turn away from what God knows is best for us. I’m not going to lie, forgiving others and myself is a very hard thing to do, however, very necessary because it brings me closer to God and allows me to let go of the unsettling aspects of my daily life. Being closer to God helps me to know that although forgiveness may be hard, our Lord is a very patient and loving God that walks with us on the healing path to forgiveness. He is our biggest cheerleader. A couple weeks ago, I walked into church and saw a lady hysterically crying. I immediately walked over and asked if she was okay. When I got closer I realized it was one of the long time members I’ve known since I joined this church. I told her to come sit down with me and asked her what was the matter. I figured she would tell me something about her sick husband or her many bills, but instead she screamed at the top of her lungs and told me to never talk to her again. Now, at this moment, it was very hard to process because I am a super sensitive person that wears my heart on my sleeve. I go out of my way to help everyone and when they do not give me all the love I gave them back, I tend to close up and hold all my hurt inside, not being able to forgive. However, I decided to take a step back this time and ask God for help. Why would she scream at me like that? Why would she not want my help? Why would she push me so far away, the one that has helped her through it all? He encouraged me to forgive her, for she was going through a lot. Forgive her for yelling, pushing me away and being selfish. I not only had to forgive her, but myself as well for falling into the devil’s trap. We must forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. He sent his one and only son to the cross so that we could have forgiveness for our sins. Jesus teaches us to forgive and keep on forgiving. Seventy seven times to be exact! He teaches us to be patient and have faith in Him so that our lives may be filled with joy and so that we may have the strength to fill others lives with that same endless joy. For the new year, let’s help each other find God on the road to forgiveness. Easy? Definitely not. But so possible with the love of our precious savior.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Susqu chapter.