Warning: Falling Snow

As I sit in the quietness of my house, drinking my slow coffee, I see huge hunks of snow falling from the trees.  It is very cloudy and gray out, and the snow just doesn't seem quite as beautiful to me today as it did yesterday.  But then I chide myself for these thoughts, because God created this day for us and I should be appreciative.  Sometimes I find when I can’t discover immediate joy in something, there is usually a lesson I need to be learning from the situation.  Though this concept is great in theory, actually applying some of these lessons to my life is way more difficult. 

I am sure we have all been in situations where we have been hurt in one way or another.  There have been millions of songs and self-help books written on the topic of forgiveness. We know God calls us to forgive those who hurt us, but that is most often easier said than done.  Almost every sermon I have ever heard on forgiveness makes me feel like I have fallen short because whether or not I admit it out loud, I may be harboring a little anger, bitterness, or resentment in my heart which I am not quite ready to let go.  The bible speaks volumes on the topic of forgiveness.  The actual words forgiveness and forgive are used multiple times throughout the Old and New Testament. The scriptures are also laced with countless stories that don’t necessarily use the words, but certainly beautifully illustrate the concept.

Knowing the importance of forgiveness and actually applying the lesson to your life are two very different things.  I think forgiveness is not something that happens overnight or all at once, but rather bit by bit.  Jesus tells us in Mathew 18:22 that we should forgive “not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” This makes me feel better because it confirms that forgiving is a really hard thing to do.  I shouldn't be discouraged when I start remembering the old hurt again and negative thoughts try to overtake me, but instead I should forgive again.  Ephesians 4:31-32 helps put this in perspective. It says:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ forgave you.

As I struggle with this concept of forgiveness, I am going to try to think about the snow falling from the trees.  If I allow a grudge to stay with me too long, I might become droopy, feeling as if I may snap in half under the weight of the grudge. But if I forgive, I can free myself from the burden of my own, ugly thoughts.  Even if it’s slow at first, like the wind blowing little bits of snow off the trees, if I keep at it, I will be able to dump that grudge to the ground in a large clump. When I forgive those who have hurt me, I free myself from the winter in my heart and can become the tree God intended me to be- the one that is ready to bloom!