4 Doors That Are Not Locked
“I think you may have a burr under your saddle,” she suggested.
We were offended.
But upon further reflection, she was right. We needed to do some forgiving.
Over the next several months, my wife and I examined what we might be holding on to that needed to be let go. As I recall, my wife came to her conclusions rather quickly, but it took me a while. I got nerdy about it and read 3 books on forgiveness. And finally, we identified the problems. And we took appropriate actions. One of mine led to the burning of some letters and printed emails that I had been holding on to. I don’t know what I thought I would ever do with them. But, burning them was a soul cleansing experience.
As it turns out, the door to forgiveness is not locked.
Sure, some wrongs require a parting of the ways, even with forgiveness. Some require confrontation. And some can be let go. To be sure, forgiveness is not a one time transaction, though the door to that initial act or word of forgiveness is ultimately unlocked.
Your initiative of forgiveness whether spoken or silent does not condone what happened. It was not okay. But, you are choosing to release it. You are refusing to be held prisoner any longer. Even if the other person never returns your same sentiment.
After many years of beating on the same door, you may find that the door of forgiveness is not locked.
Worth Repeating
Forgiving is the only way to be fair to ourselves.
-Lewis Smedes
