I can finally feel things lifting after what has been the most intense work/career phase I have ever had. Some of it has been good, all of it has been challenging, and although it may not have a "happy" ending I am still grateful because it has given me the chance to grow.
So back to faith/theology and the things that make me tick!
This is the first of five short daily posts I have promised to myself, and to you. If anybody's even got me in their RSS feed anymore, ha.
#1 -- Understanding and Forgiveness
I have noticed that whenever I'm having trouble forgiving someone who has hurt me, the path to forgiveness goes through the town of Understanding. If I can just focus enough on who they are, what they've faced in life, how their personality works, what they're afraid of, what they dream of... eventually I can empathize closely enough to see the world through their eyes.
And in that moment, when I start to understand who they are, I gain clarity on why they do what they do. And I can no longer fault them for it.
So the question is -- do you think God understands us?
Laughs
7 hours ago
8 comments:
Of course, God understands us!!!!!
He MADE US!!!!! I'm sure sometimes he might 'shake his head' over things we say & do--knowing that WE KNOW BETTER--but, giving us FREE WILL--he gave us the CHOICE to make mistakes & we do make them--just hopefully, as we get older & wiser, we don't make as many!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's soothing to me that MY GOD UNDERSTANDS ME--because even though I also know that HE'S ALWAYS WITH ME--He does 'get' it when I mess up & is the FIRST ONE to FORGIVE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!--maybe even sometimes BEFORE I ASK FOR forgiveness??--isn't that in the Bible somewhere????
Although, I DO know that HE wants us to ASK HIS FORGIVENESS, too!!!!!
That's part of our confession to Him & others & also part of the healing & remembering NOT to do THAT again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And, it KEEPS us HUMBLE--right WHERE He likes us to be!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE your first point--about looking at things through others' eyes/lives, does make it easier to forgive them, when they've done us wrong--but, it takes a MATURE person to/who do/does that, that's for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And, a person who understands that he/she is NOT THE ONLY PERSON around--"It's NOT ALL ABOUT ME"!!!!
Looking forward to your next blog..
LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mom
I think that God understands me better than I understand myself sometimes. My big question is does He like what I am?
You know, when you ask someone for their forgiveness, it is opening yourself up to them, making yourself vulnerable. I think that God wants us to trust Him that much. I think, like any Father, he does not want us to fear him, or to hide from him. He wants us to come to Him to weep our tears and grieve our little griefs in the folds of His robe. Like any father, we would feel his arm across our back, pulling us close, even as He shakes His head at the foolishness our our thinking.
Oh, PS, I can understand why people are the way they are, and I can forgive them, but sometimes, also, I find that I no longer want to associate with them, closely. I worry about this.
Great post, and it's sure nice to see you back, RL.
I think I'm pretty good at forgiving folks when they wrong me-or do something I perceive as wrong. But wrong one of my loved ones, and I hold a grudge, a grudge I can't seem to shake, even when I want to turn it loose.
The old Native American saying seems to fit well here:
"Before you criticize me, walk a mile in my moccasins."
We seem to be "channeling" one another considering my latest post.
Thank you for your comments, gang! It's nice to be back and see your faces here!
Great to see you back, Michael.
Oh yes, God understands. And loves me anyway.
I think God understands us. Interesting you should start posting again this week, as I've been working through week 6 of the Artist's way and a lot of it is about exploring your relationship with God.
Debby: I think it's perfectly alright to forgive someone and not want to have the same relationship with them. Sometimes people are only meant to be in our lives for a season and when that season is over (through drifting apart or some other change in the relationship) it's okay to let them go. No where in the Bible does it say you have to have the same relationship with the person your entire life.
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