The Power of Forgiveness

It can be SO hard to forgive someone who has wronged you. Especially when that person is not only not repentent, nor seeking your forgiveness, but continuing to do the same or another harmful thing. Or almost worse, their request for forgiveness is anything but genuine.

How is one to forgive 70 times 7 in these cases?

I don't know.

But I'll share with you a beautiful story (names have been changed to genders) that exemplifies how "like children" we are to become, if we are to expect the Kingdom of Heaven:

Children: a little girl age 4 and a little boy age 7

Scene: the 4 year old's home when the two families are visiting

Offense: He was pulling a card out from under her foot, causing her to topple over and be hurt. She was not supposed to be standing on the card, but neither was she hurting anyone in the process. He just wanted to put the card away and was done "reasoning" with her. He hurt her because of rough actions.

Follow-up: She came and told her mother. He tried to defend himself making it out to be her fault entirely. This hurt her more than the physical pain. It was reasoned with the 7 year old that he did not mean to hurt her, but it did happen and he should see what can be done to make her feel better. He hid under the dining room table instead; loudly proclaiming it was not his fault and he's not sorry that she was hurt and he wasn't going to play with her again. You get the idea.

A few minutes later, then every few minutes following, she came to his mother to ask, "Is he ready to play now? Is he going to come out?" etc. This continued for about 20 minutes. She then came to him with the magic words: "Boy, I am ready to forgive you. Will you come out now?"

Here she was, ready with forgiveness in her heart; and all he had was a scowl on his face and crossed arms; thus a concrete wall around his heart.

And she sat in the chair in the living room watching the dining room table, every few minutes, "Will he come out now? I'm ready to say I forgive him."

Finally, she knew this wasn't enough. So she set up a game for him to play with her.  She then came over and said to him, "I have a game set up for us to play. I want to tell you I forgive you. Will you let me?"

He came out.

He said he was sorry for hurting her and asked for her forgiveness. She was able to give him the words she'd sought for almost an hour to give.

And the matter was utterly forgotten by everyone.

Except by this mother who still cries tears of awe that such a simple sweet soul could have so much forgiveness for one who insisted on being as unrepentant as possible.

Her love wore him down.

We have so many lessons to learn from her.