Hi, friends. Good morning! I hope you’re all doing well.
It’s early.. about 6:30 in the morning.. and I’ve been awake since 4:30. I have so much to get done today: work for my studio, things around the house, responsibilities for my daughters, packing, and what feels like a never-ending list of little tasks.
But we’ll get it all done. This is life, isn’t it? We always seem to be busy. Even when we stay home, there is constantly something (or someone) needing our attention.
Today, though, I want to slow down for a moment and write about something that is a sensitive subject for me. I talk about it openly with close friends, but I feel like it’s time to open my heart and write about it here, too.
I want to talk about forgiveness.
The truth is, I have a difficult time forgiving people. When someone hurts me – or especially when someone hurts somebody I love – I take it very personally. I hold on to what happened, replay it in my mind, and sometimes carry the hurt for much longer than I should.
I hold grudges.
That isn’t something I’m proud of, but it is something I’m aware of, and I have been working on it for a long time. Holding on to hurt gets in my way. It affects my heart, steals my peace, and keeps me emotionally attached to situations I wish I could leave behind.
This morning, I read a short devotional about forgiveness, and it made me think: Why is forgiving so hard for me? Why do some people seem able to forgive so easily while I struggle so much?
I don’t have a simple answer. Maybe it’s because the pain was deep. Maybe it’s because I remember exactly how someone made me feel. Maybe part of me thinks that forgiving means pretending what happened wasn’t wrong.
But I am learning that forgiveness does not mean giving someone another chance to hurt me.
Forgiveness does not mean I have to trust that person again. It does not mean I have to invite them back into my life, restore the same relationship, or pretend that nothing ever happened. Forgiveness does not remove wisdom, boundaries, or consequences.
Sometimes, forgiveness simply means letting go and not looking back.
It means placing the hurt in God’s hands instead of carrying it everywhere I go. It means deciding that what someone did will no longer control my thoughts, my emotions, or my peace.
The other person may never even know that I forgave them. Forgiveness is not always a conversation or a reconciliation. Sometimes it is a quiet decision made between my heart and God.
And forgiveness is not only for the other person. It is also for us.
When we hold on to anger, resentment, and pain, we continue carrying the burden of what happened. The person who hurt us may have already moved on, while we are still living inside that moment. Forgiveness allows us to put that burden down.
The Lord tells us to forgive because He knows what unforgiveness can do to our hearts.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
– Ephesians 4:32
We are all sinners. We make mistakes every day because we are human. We try to follow the Holy Spirit and live in a way that pleases God, but we still fall short. We say the wrong things, make poor decisions, and sometimes have thoughts that do not reflect the heart we want to have.
Still, the Lord continues to forgive us.
He forgives us again and again, and He asks us to extend forgiveness to others. He invites us to lay our burdens at His feet and trust Him with the pain, the injustice, and everything we cannot fix on our own.
That is what I am trying to do.
I am doing much better than I used to, but forgiveness is still a journey for me. Every time I am hurt, I have to work through it again. I have to pray, surrender my feelings to God, and remind myself that forgiving does not make me weak or foolish.
It means I am choosing freedom.
Sometimes forgiveness happens quickly, but sometimes it is a decision we have to make repeatedly. We may forgive someone today and feel the pain returning tomorrow. When that happens, perhaps we simply bring it back to God and say, “Lord, I gave this to You before, and I am giving it to You again.”
It hurts, and it is difficult – but I know I am getting somewhere.
Every time we study forgiveness, pray about it, and intentionally work on our hearts, we are making progress. Every time we choose peace instead of resentment, we are growing. We may not get there overnight, but with God’s help, we will get there.
If you are carrying something that someone did to you – or to someone you love – I want to encourage you to begin letting it go. Forgive them, even if you need to do it one day at a time. Forgive them even if they never apologize. Forgive them while still keeping the boundaries you need.
Do it for your own heart. Do it for your own peace. Most importantly, do it because God has forgiven us and calls us to forgive others.
I believe the Lord sees every sincere effort we make to grow. He knows when forgiveness is difficult for us, and He will patiently help us through every step of the journey.
We are going to make it. We will get there, and the Lord will be beside us every step of the way.
Have a wonderful and blessed weekend, friends.
With love and grace,
Tay
Little Blessings Mama 