Of all the classes I took in high school and four years of college, I don’t recall any of the curriculum's focusing on forgiveness. Now, had I been a theology or religion major, it is a sure bet that the concept of forgiveness would have been a prominent teaching throughout my education. Some may say that an understanding of forgiveness would come - or should come from attending Church, reading the Bible, or other areas of faith formation. For me, my faith and understanding of Christian principles did not begin to take root until I was twenty-three years old and had already said, “I do” to my spouse. I was spiritually tender at this time and just getting my feet wet, so the deep and wide concept of forgiveness was truly foreign to me. If I were to label what my perception of forgiveness was at this time of my life, a good description would be “forgiveness is letting someone off the hook” - a choice that didn’t even register on my values spectrum as a “control” person. My … [Read more...]
Just Love
Several years back I enjoyed a wonderful conversation over tea with my husband’s grandmother about her life’s experiences. The wisdom shared by this kind and gentle woman of purity, grace and impeccable character was genuine and sincere. One piece of advice took root immediately in my heart when Grandma Clarice shared with me her memory of the wonderful fifty-five years of marriage she had experienced with her adoring husband. When I asked her to explain to me how and why her marriage withstood the test of time and overflowed with contentment, her answer was simple and profound as she said, “just love.” Over the years I have pondered her statement many times and shared her advice with several friends along the way. Coming from her lips this virtue sounded so easy, but I guess that’s what happens when maturity and experience do the talking. In my still emerging walk towards humility, growth and understanding in my marriage, those two simple words don’t always seem possible. When … [Read more...]
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