Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Forgiveness

I found a friend on Facebook and I remembered how we weren't friends at one time...

It was high school. I was...a sophomore, I think? Anyway...we were ARCH ENEMIES! It was over a boy. She said things about me...i said things about her...everyone knew (at the time) that we HATED each other.

For Lent, our Sunday School teacher urged us to give up something NOT material. I thought & thought, and her name came to mind. I thought about how me hating her took up sooo much of my time! I thought about how much i hated her day and night, I wrote about it in my journals, I talked about it to friends & family...I mean...for hating her...I sure did obsess over her! I decided to give it up.

One day in the hallway...it was during class...no one else was there, I saw her. I took a deep breath & walked up to her. "Hey...for lent...I want to give up hating you. I don't deserve you as a friend, but I want to call a truce...maybe we can be friends one day??? I'm sorry for being such a b-word to you." She just stood there mouth open & she shook my hand when I offered it. We weren't friends over night, but slowly we started being friendly. We never were best friends, but I'll never forget that on my 16th birthday she gave me a James Avery ring with a heart & cross on it. I still have it today!

I'm so thankful for her forgiving me for so many reasons...
I don't remember who did who wrong...what I do remember is the feeling of a WEIGHT being lifted off my chest. All that time I had spent HATING her...was filled with other things. GOOD things!
From that moment on, I realized that forgiving was so euphoric. Moving on with life rather than carrying the burden of hatred made me so much happier. I live by that today.

So...here's to the girl that forgave me when I didn't deserve it...and the wonderful things that forgiving her taught me!

3 comments:

Mary Ann said...

That was beautiful Janet. Our surmon on Sunday was about forgiveness and it really hit the spot.

Unknown said...

Very well written. Love ya!

Bailey said...

Janet, that is incredible! Also, for you to be that brave at 16 to swallow your pride and forgive her...that just shows what a good person you are. God is good!