Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Baggage

I believe that the most important thing to consider when thinking about forgiveness is the effect that it has on ourselves.
Forgiveness isn't always about the person being forgiven. Often, that person will have asked forgiveness and will be very grateful when we do forgive, but probably more often we need to forgive for our own sakes.
 I've carried around anger and resentment for a while, and I've done so quite often. But the thing that always took it away was the realization that my anger wasn't affecting the object of my anger at all, but it was affecting me a great deal, in a very negative way.
 I wasn't sleeping as I could have been.
I wasn't able to focus on the task at hand as well as I could have.
 I wasn't able to relate to other people effectively.

I have to admit, I still get angry and I don't always forgive as I should, but I am getting better.
I don't want that negative baggage to carry around with me.
I want my view of the world to be a view filled with wonder and awe, and carrying a grudge taints that view. I'm the one who suffers from my own inability to forgive.
I'm the only one who can save myself from that suffering by putting things behind me where they belong.

No comments: