Wednesday, 08 February 2006 - Forgiveness

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for forgiveness.

See everything; overlook a great deal; correct a little.
~Pope John XXIII

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.
~Lewis B. Smedes

Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself.
~Harriet Nelson

I tend to be intolerant because of my innate critical nature (a negative attribute of my Myers-Briggs NT personality type). But, when I'm able let it go (especially when the irritant involves my husband or family), I feel so much better. The act of letting go involves my forgiving others for their trespasses against me, a difficult task that is becoming easier with daily practice.

I learned a long time ago that when I point the finger at someone else, three fingers point back at me. This leads to the hardest part of forgiving - I must learn to forgive myself.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.