Parents

Everyone’s got a set, no matter how you were hatched it took two things to get you here; one from a father and one from a mother-biologically.

My little flip devotional tells me today, that it is “very important to make sure you have forgiven your parents.” That made me laugh out loud.
It goes on to say, that if I don’t honor them it will shorten my life. And I can’t fully honor them if I haven’t forgiven them….

“Well, Ms. Flip-thing, you don’t know my life! Just mind your own business.”

Honestly, I learned a long time ago that forgiveness is a personal thing and for me it does have huge benefits to my life. Forgiving someone allows you to free up that darkness from your heart. Harboring the feelings you have because of what someone did doesn’t always affect them at all, but it sure holds us down and keeps us from being happy. Many times the other person has no idea that you are holding that spot of anger, bitterness, hurt. They’re going about their life as if nothing has happened.

That’s pretty crazy to me, to hurt our own happiness because of someone else.

Forgiving doesn’t mean you have to forget. You don’t have to forget what they did and how it affected you; make sure it strengthens, empowers and/or teaches you. Make sure you don’t allow that thing to happen again.

I can forgive many things that have happened in my life, even things I’ve done. Forgiving myself is harder for me than forgiving someone else. Learning to right my wrongs is humbling and freeing at the same time. It’s growth.

Today I can confidently say that I forgive myself for some pretty big things. I’ve definitely not forgotten them. I don’t want to forget them because I don’t want to do them again. With the help of prayer, acknowledging what I’ve done wrong, repentance and owning up to the fact that I need to get make it right, I have given myself the peace of forgiveness. Some things were much harder than others, especially the things that others forgave me for so easily…

Forgiving my parents, well, at this moment I can’t think of anything to forgive them for. I’ve passed that bridge a long time ago and it’s been a beautiful ride ever since.

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

**Psalm 32