This morning I woke up with praise on my tongue and thoughts of forgiveness in my heart. There’s nothing like a birthday to make you think about your life and wish you’d done some things differently. You can’t wish a new past, but you can wish and create a new today. Probably the person hardest and last to be forgiven is one’s own self.  So bless yourself today and experience freedom. When you know better, you do better.  There may be a few saints out there, but most parents, teachers, families, neighbors, friends, co-workers, and couples have made mistakes. It’s part of being human.

I was reflecting on the line in the Lord’s Prayer that said, “forgive us as we forgive those those who trespass against us.”  The key word was “AS”.  We wouldn’t need forgiveness if there weren’t anything to forgive. Humans are prone to error. Everyone makes mistakes.  Holding on to grudges zaps our energy and hold us hostage to the past. With the albatross of our shortcomings weighing down our necks, its hard to move on.  Surely we’d like to blame the perpetrators, but they harmed us only once.  Each time we “choose” to relive the injustice, we are in essence re-wounding ourselves over and over again. Forgiveness is a gift to ourselves and to others.  Remember, the prayer promises that we are forgiven WHEN we forgive others.  Forgiveness is a virtue and everyone wants to be virtuous.  How can we learn this virtue and put it into practice unless we are harmed and have a need to forgive?  Finally, all prayer minded people want to be more “God-like” and isn’t forgiveness one of those things that we tearfully beg God for?  We are each programmed to emulate our Creator, being harmed, and then having the opportunity to forgive another person (in this light) can be viewed as a divine blessing.