Making mistakes and Forgiveness

Forgiveness has always been a huge part of my life. I was wronged by many people at a very young age. It was very early on I realized how much work, and how bad it felt to hang on to someone else’s wrong doing. I also realized that good people are just as capable of making mistakes as anyone else, and that included myself. So I decided to try to be as forgiving as possible whenever I could and hoped the same would be extended to me should I commit a transgression.

I have experienced both sides of this. I slipped up once and hurt someone I love pretty badly. But I was forgiven almost immediately because they said, they had seen my example of forgiveness and felt I deserved it.  I am not advocating for people to just let people of the hook willy-nilly, there needs to be true remorse for true forgiveness.

Remorse is a tough pill to swallow, I know. The natural instinct is make excuses for your bad choices, reasons why they were okay. But if you want true forgiveness you must humble yourself, admit your wrong doing, and enact some sort of change to move forward in a better direction.

Both of these things take work but they are so worth it. I feel relief when I forgive, I don’t have to carry a burden of anger and bitterness. Also, the other side, to humble oneself, to make no excuse, is one of lifes great opportunities to grow.

We as humans are fallible; none of us will walk through life with perfection. We all have the ability to miss-step and we all have the ability to forgive.  When I feel someone has wronged me, it helps me to put myself their shoes, to try to understand what they may have been thinking. If I need to be angry, I get angry, or mourn or whatever it is I need to do, and then I communicate my feelings. Sometimes this means you can’t have the person in your life anymore, and sometimes it will enrich a standing relationship, whatever you choose should make you feel peaceful.

Forgiveness comes fairly easily to me when I see true remorse; I find no benefit to hanging on to my case against someone.  If you are struggling with hurt, pain, or betrayal, speak up. No one is served by denial.   You may be pleasantly surprised by people and your own ability to do what is right.

I am starting my new year with full confidence that I am whole, and I am loving, and I want to walk through life with grace and integrity.