Forgiveness

What is forgiveness?
There's no one definition of forgiveness. But in general, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentments and thoughts of revenge. Forgiveness is the act of untying yourself from thoughts and feelings that bind you to the offense committed against you. This can reduce the power these feelings otherwise have over you, so that you can a live freer and happier life in the present. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

Doesn't forgiving someone mean you're forgetting or condoning what happened?
Absolutely not! Forgiving isn't the same as forgetting what happened to you. The act that hurt or offended you may always remain a part of your life. But forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. Forgiveness also doesn't mean that you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act.

I recently posted this little thing on forgiveness on another blog in another venue and a person in my husband's family, whom I will never understand, lashed out at me for the comment and making the comment "his Christian wife."

She said it as if being a Christian was a bad thing. If you will notice, I didn't quote any scripture in the previous post, but for boy, she didn't like it at all.

Now, I am here to tell everyone, I am a Christian, I have been baptized and even though my walk with Jesus is not perfect, I do try to live a good life. I was so blown away by her being offended by these comments on forgiveness.

Life is so short, and when I think of some of the real problems people are going through right now it just saddens me to think we spend precious time bickering over the most trivial things.

I wish for everyone who reads this to have a good day, smile at someone and be kind, being mean is such an unattractive characteristic for anyone.