Forgiveness

Forgiveness. It’s been on my mind alot lately. I’ve been thinking about it well before Charlie Kirk’s widow, in front of the whole world, told her husband’s killer … “I forgive you.”

My kids like when my Blog is funny and silly, but sometimes it can’t be. I hope they’ll forgive me.

“Forgiving” and “forgiveness” have been on my mind because I hold grudges. Sometimes, when I daydream while out on a walk, I think of people who’ve wronged me, tell those stories to myself again, and I waste precious moments justifying why I’m mad at those people or still get mad thinking about what so-and-so did or whats-his-name said. I daydream and think, boy oh boy, if I ever run into that person, THIS is what I’m going to say.

Why? Do other people do this? My guess is … yes. Otherwise, “forgiveness” wouldn’t be mentioned in the Bible as often as it is. Forgiveness is mentioned somewhere between 16 and 20 times in the Bible according to Bible Study Tools and Open Bible.

I write often on this Blog about things I’m going to do to improve my life … like take cold showers in the morning or wear and hike in my rucking vest. I wonder how the rest of 2025 would feel if I also worked on forgiveness? And then how would that make 2026, 2027 and every year after that better if I can really start thinking about an old boss that was terrible to me and many? Or a friend from 25 years ago that hurt me with is words? Or, as absurd as it is, all the people in the news, whom I’ve never met and will never meet …just forgive their toxic behavior and move on?

I’m confident it would feel wonderful.

Forgiveness isn’t easy. I’m not one of those Bible-quoters, but this is something I say often and mull around in my head and then … forgive me … I don’t live it out.

Matthew 18:21-22: 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-seven times.

I won’t just Blog about forgiveness, this time, and move on. I’m going to work at it. I’m going to write things down as past grievances and grudges float into my head. I’m going to think about it. Get to why that thing or person still bothers me. Then, my thing, I’ll say a few Hail Mary’s and Our Fathers and try to never …think …about …it …or him/her … again.

And then I’ll pray and hope the people whom I’ve been crappy to will forgive me.

Ephesians 4:32: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.