It was easy
to write about You,
Forgiveness,
when I could speak of you far away
and not smack in the middle of my lap!
“As you forgive, so shall you be forgiven”
My Catholic conscience rings out the verse
Forgiveness…
I didn’t know it would be so hard to do…
It was easy to tell others,
“Oh, just forgive and it will be okay,
You have to go on for another day.”
I have heard many charitable and religious quotes
from well-intentioned friends and folks,
“You needed to learn from this experience”…
“God loves you and so do I”…
“Let it go…forgive”
“Not forgiving allows that person to take up free rent in your brain!”
“You shall be forgiven as you forgive”
Hurt and anger are wrapped around you so tight!
It is difficult to believe everything will be alright.
Then the words of the Gospel came to me again:
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Once more you are trying to enter into my heart, Friend,
You, Forgiveness,
WHO are you?
You, Forgiveness,
WHY do you plague me so?
You, Forgiveness,
You are asking a great deal of me!
You, Forgiveness,
You were easy to speak about
when it was not so personal!
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
–Mark Twain
Forgiveness, how do I reach YOU?
Footprints of Thoughts 
OH, Johann, you have no idea how true this is, and how difficult it is to forgive when you hav seen the depths of darkness in another. Thank you for posting this. Love, Amy
LikeLike
We have to follow YeOldeFoole’s comment—-look into ourselves and the mistakes we made, and then we can forgive…very true!
LikeLike
Oh boy, and then some. I remember a saying that goes something like this: whenever you point at someone, there are three fingers pointing to you. Hmmmm …. Yep. xx
LikeLike
thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
it becomes so much easier once you see the depths of darkness in yourself
LikeLike
Yes, you are correct, Gary, and, I might add, you are anything BUT an “olde foole.” Thanks for the insight!
LikeLike
and easier when we think “except for the grace of God, there go I”, or to think how much he has forgiven us of our many transgressions against him, and we cannot forgive another of one transgression.”
LikeLike
Wonderful writing, and yes it is a big action to be able to give. Personally, I have worked years to be able to forgive some. I have always loved this quote by Mark Twain, thank you for the reminder.
LikeLike
We struggle together, Wildflower!
LikeLike
what a brilliant post!! I have so much anger and bitterness in me because of Vic’s suffering. Thank you for sharing!!!
LikeLike
dear, dear Tersia, what does one say to a Mother who has lost her daughter? I do not have any words…I do not know WHY we have to have all of this suffering that we do…there is no human explanation that satisfies me. Two of my siblings, Barb and Bill, and 14 others among my first cousins and two nephews were struck with myotonic dystrophy. My siblings died within the last 4 years–Barb at 63, six months after my Mom died and then my younger brother, Bill, 62, died last year. Myotonic dystrophy is a slow killer—speech becomes garbled, muscles become weaker and weaker as the nerve cells die off, then swallowing becomes impossible and the person has to be tube-fed. Next the breathing becomes more labored and if the person chooses, they will be put on a ventilator. Their immune system destroys itself and so the heart stops. If the person is resuscitated, most, if not all, of their bones will be broken. Unfortunately, the medical staff did not explain that well to my sister-in-law, and Bill was resuscitated, only to die two days later. Both Barbara and Bill were very kind, gentle and generous souls. They would give you the shirt off of their back if they saw you needed it, without questioning that they would be left with none. There is no cure for the disease. It is a horrible way to suffer and live. Barbara and Bill were first diagnosed in their late twenties. By that time, they suffered from people making fun of their speech. They lost the ability to walk well—then they were accused of being alcoholics. They suffered a lot–because it was a hidden disease at the onset. WHY did they have to suffer so much? I do not know.
I do know this…God does NOT will the suffering or death of anyone. I believe that there is a God of Love—for me, it is a challenge some days to believe it—but I do! And we have to know that despite all that we suffer, we will return to that source of love when we pass from this world. I believe this because deep inside of me, despite my suffering and the suffering of all around me, I do believe I would not have that longing IF there was not a God. And to know that one day we will be in that LOVE…I try to look past all the hurts, foolishness, and suffering and HOPE in that LOVE. Blessing to you, my dear friend…I share your tears!
LikeLiked by 1 person