Forgiveness…again

This morning my mind drifts to forgiveness. “When you forgive somebody who has wronged you, you’re spared the dismal corrosion of bitterness and wounded pride. For both parties, forgiveness means the freedom again to be at peace inside their own skins and to be glad in each others’ presence,” so wrote Fredrick Buechner.  Usually I have no trouble moving past the hurt and into the realm of forgiveness, but for the past few months, there has been a person who has challenged my ability to do that. 

This morning though, I see things a little differently.  This morning I realize that this person has given me an opportunity to move to a higher level of peace and understanding not just with her, but with myself as well.  And for that I am most grateful.

““Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.”—Martin Luther King

“I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive.  Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.” –Henry Ward Beecher

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”—Lewis B. Smedes

Enjoy your day!