I need forgiveness

I received this note from my daughter today, concerning some events and conversation between my daughter and granddaughter:

So Jacelyn got in BIG trouble earlier. About 10 minutes later she comes running to me and gives me a huge hug. I asked her what that was for, and she looked at me with those big, sweet, sweet blue eyes and said, "Forgiveness".

Yeah, I lost it.

I lost it, too......for a while.  Then I said out loud, "That is exactly the way God feels when one of his kids seeks to receive forgiveness."  Even more, it's the way things should work when we offend or are offended by someone else. 

Forgiveness, a gift from God, is not difficult to learn and understand.  The difficult part comes when those of us who are freely forgiven by God, like to hold on to our feelings of hurt and offense, until WE think someone deserves our forgiveness.  We look at forgiving others like we will become the weaker person when we forgive.  If we are dedicated to doing things God's way, then we realize the strength that comes to us when we learn to forgive.

In the case of my daughter and granddaughter, the daughter knows what it is like to be in need of forgiveness, because she has been forgiven.  She is also raising her children to understand right and wrong, and when one does something wrong, there is a need to be forgiven.  I didn't ask what kind of BIG trouble had transpired.  It didn't matter.  A very young child, full of energy and always into things, has learned whatever she did is not something to do again.  And she needed parental forgiveness.

I know the thoughts and ways of God are higher than the thoughts and ways of man, but for a moment let's look into what must be the thinking of God on the subject of forgiveness. 

 

God thinks, I am going to love these people even when they are unlovable.  I want to love them so much they will learn from my example, the way they should love each other. 

Again, God thinks, I am going to forgive these people even when they do not deserve it.  I want to forgive them so completely they will learn the way they should forgive each other. 

I am so blessed to have children and grandchildren who are loved and forgiven.  The blessing continues when each one of them grows into a person that loves and forgives others. 

Jesus was right.  Sometimes it takes a 3-year old to teach the big lessons to those of us who are older.

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