Week 34: Who is on your Forgive & Forget List??

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” 
― Martin Luther King Jr.



There he was, innocent looking enough...smiling and laughing with our kids. I just sat in the corner, arms folded, sulking. My heart was hardened...I knew I would never forgive the wrongs I felt he had done to my family and me...never.

But then, as fate would have it...we would get a call...the news was bad...it was cancer. The bad kind. The kind that takes absolute no mercy and takes your life within months. 

Hearing the news, my heart sank. Somehow in a split second my hardened heart melted and I felt nothing but love and compassion for this man that I had been angry at for years. 

“When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God’s light shines upon you.” 
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

Our world has been turned upside down the past 2 weeks...my father in-law was diagnosed with operable pancreatic cancer-Stage4. The cancer has spread to both lungs as well. It is such a somber time in our home as we try to wrap our minds around this. My family and I spent last weekend at his home...reminiscing, laughing and just hanging out.

Grandpa loves popcorn and made a HUGE batch for us while we watched Percy Jackson.

I love this photo of Em and her Gramps:)

Here we are at Pizza Hut last Sunday. We plan on making the most of our time with him, visiting often.

I have known this man for 23 years and in that time have spent much of it bitter and angry. He is very opinionated and most times never, ever admits his mistakes. Hurtful words and actions have come from him regarding our faith....something I hold dear to my heart. His words have cut deep and in order to protect my faith and my family I often feel the need to defend it.

But then...we got the phone call. We drove down to see him. My heart melted. I was devastated. All I kept asking myself was "Why have I been so stubborn?? Why couldn't I have just turned the other cheek?"

“The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either -- or both -- when needed?” 
― Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes

It is waaaaay past time to FORGIVE this man. He is my husband's father, my children's grandfather, my father in-law. He is a very good man. He loves his family. He believes in Jesus Christ and has good, strong Christian morals.

 It is time for forgive and forget.

“I want to be the kind of person who can do that. Move on and forgive people and be healthy and happy. It seems like an easy thing to do in my head. But it's not so easy when you try it in real life.” 
― Susane Colasanti, Waiting For You

Girls, is there someone in YOUR life that needs forgiving?? Is your heart hardened towards a loved one, a friend, a co-worker?? I KNOW it's hard to MOVE forward until we FORGIVE. I have known this for years and years but chose not to listen to my heart...it was just easier to stay angry.

I am ready to HEAL MY HEART. I am ready to FORGIVE this man and SEE him for who he is...a kind, loving man that loves his family more than life itself.

I forgive.

**Take out your journals and  heal your hearts. Decide who you need to forgive and make steps towards doing just that. Let me know how you are doing!! How do YOU forgive???