You think: No, it is not!!!
I do forgive easily, but there is a more difficult part about forgiveness, isn’t there? At least for me and for some other fine blogging ladies. I came across three posts this past week, talking about forgiveness ~ and yes they were written by different women on my Blogroll (very interesting)…
Jamie at TNChick was talking about that she could forgive, but really has a hard time to forget…Heather at Midlife Moments was talking about the same thing, just in a different situation…Vicki at Windows To My Soul got hurt, forgave the other person and moved on…
So the really hard part of forgiveness is the forgetting part…You see, in Spring of 2005 I made a lot of changes in my personal life. I was involved in many things at my home congregation. I was rarely home during the week, or prepared for things for church at home. Even on the weekends I spend time at church…God gave me a new perspective on serving Him. He gently (or maybe not so gently) reminded me that I do have a ministry at home!
You probably start wondering where the forgiveness and forgetting part comes in…Let me tell you.
After I stepped back from all the ‘public’ ministries, I was laid ‘waste-side’ by most people of my congregation. I was okay with it. They were just too busy to deal with my personal hurts, I forgave and moved on. The forgetting part was a little harder. When I needed my congregation the most, they dropped me like a hot potato…But I continued to seek comfort in God’s Word and it helped me to stay focused on what was really important in this life! Him and His promise: That He was the only one who can see me through the valleys of life…
The biggest clincher though came this last spring. My best friend told me that I have changed too much; that I had more time for on-line friends than for real people. Ouch! She was the only one I still met for Bible study and now she was gone too…Yikes! But to be perfectly honest with you, I see my writing on my Blog as ministry. The people who come across my blog and read what I have to write are REAL people too. We are only divided by a computer screen…AND my main ministry is at home. With God’s help, I can be the wife and mother He wants me to be. Sure it is not a public ministry, but it is the most rewarding one.
Did I forgive my best friend for the hurtful words? Of course I did! Did I forget them? Nope. They come up once in awhile and sting my heart…but…
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:12-14
I hope that you will allow me to host your entry this week on ‘The Beauty of Philippians’. Please visit Sallie’s blog ‘A Gracious Home‘ for guidelines.
Please email me your information (name, blog name, title of your post and a short lead-in) by Tuesday, 3pm EST. – Thank you :smile:.
