GET INSPIRED : Forgive and you’ll be forgiven

Joyful bells ring jubilantly as we usher in Christmas. Birds make melody; trees happily sway as people take pleasure in the festive season. All creation is in high spirits apart from you! You still wear that long face that you’ve worn for the past two years when you refused to forgive a certain someone. Since festivities bring people and families together, you are dead scared of how to keep around this person, who has irritated you for so long. Somewhere within your Newyear’s resolutions, you highlight their name and how they offended you. You swear never to let time heal those wounds. Offense is one thing and forgiveness another. Even notorious wrong doers find it complex to forgive others! Amusingly, people always give excuses for their misconduct but never listen to others’ apologies. Seeking pardon turns out to be useless. We often say ‘sorry’ won’t put food at our table, it won’t pay our bills or ‘sorry’ can’t make corrections for the blunder done. And yes, we go to the extremes when we get offended. One will curse the offender; others will get physical while many will train their whole family to dislike the person in the wrong. A famous biblical story speaks of a woman who was caught practicing adultery. People never thought twice about stoning her to death. But when Jesus suggested that only a person who had never done the same should throw the first stone, slowly by slowly everyone departed. Ruthless punishments, revenge, jelous, deception and betrayal are all results of rigid unforgiving hearts. People prefer being forgiven and understood than do the same to others. For that reason, many never admit, after all confession or no confession still there is no pardon. As the battle between rage and forgiveness lingers, the only way to go is ‘forgiveness.’ Forgiveness won’t only remedy relationships; it also breaks the bondage of sorrow and discomfort within one’s heart. The more you keep wrongs done to you at heart, the more affected you get. And the only way to get a pure heart is through forgiveness. Forgiveness is never simple but the first step is accepting it. Not only should you forgive people who apologise, even those who never admit should be forgiven. Just make sure that you forgive genuinely, from the bottom of your heart and see the peace and unity that come with pardon. Joyce Meyer, a renowned Evangelist got peace after she forgave her father who had molested since she was a little girl. True forgiveness gives peace to both parties. Pardon proclaims love to the forgiven person; they will work hard towards not misusing the second chance granted to them. The forgiver as well gets a peace of mind and revived love.As we enter 2010, let the past go, forgive and forget. After all frowning is not healthy. Forgive and keep the smile. Ends