Forgive Us, Our Trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us....

Can you imagine if God did that?

Yesterday I was reading the sermon on the mount for the umpteenth time and, as you all know, that is when Jesus taught us not only about the Beatitudes but also the proper way to pray to our Father. Today, I heard a beautiful homily about love, mercy and the power of forgiveness.  Jesus was very clear in His teachings about forgiveness, mercy and judgment. He wasn't fooling around when he said judge ~ lest you be judged. He wasn't kidding around when Peter asked him, "Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother who has sinned against me? Up to seven times?" The Lord answered, "I tell you not just seven times but seventy times seven." (That's because to infinity and beyond wasn't coined yet). We are called to forgive others; ALL those that have sinned against us, time and time again. It really doesn't have an expiration date, except for yours, and trust me when I say at that point it's too late generally.

It occurred to me that the Our Father is really a prayer that shows the incredible faith that God has in humanity when he creates us in our Mother's wombs and puts us on this earth. The words that we utter in that glorious prayer are an oath to God that we WILL forgive everyone,  just as He forgives us. We will love them all just as He loves us and we will do that for not only our friends and family but our enemies as well. When we utter that prayer we are making a promise to God that we will forgive them for the nit picky sins against us, the medium-sized sins and the mega, earth shattering stuff as well.

Can you imagine what it would be like if God actually did forgive us the way that we forgive others? Holy Moly, we would be in big trouble. God sees all and knows what we are going to do before we do it. The very good news is that God does forgive us our trespasses even though we are not very adept at forgiving others. All we have to do is ask God for forgiveness, with a sincere and contrite heart.

May we ALL strive to live up to the oath that we pray to our Father. Let us lift up our hearts and minds to Him and truly forgive those that have trespassed against us. May they do the same for us. God has faith in us all to do just that.

Peace,

Mare

I Think I Have Figured It Out

It was while I was bored out of my mind yesterday and contemplating life. I'm not sure what the catalyst was for such deep thoughts; perhaps it was hunger. I was, after all, waiting for my delivery of a Tuscan Salad from Kingdom Cafe (which was actually ghastly and sooooo not worth the wait or money). It came to me during a thoughtful review of my life thus far (the meaning of this post, not the salad). I am no longer considered middle-aged and haven't been for a while. Maybe it is just the age thing that makes you think back, IDK.

What did I figure out? It came to me that the lesson that I'm supposed to learn while on this glorious earth is (drum roll please)  forgiveness.

You know how God works. You say God, give me patience. Instead of just being infused with it He gives you someone you have to learn to be patient with (unless it is one of the gifts that He has given you.) God, give me strength is a good one. How many times I have asked for strength and was challenged beyond belief with some kind of struggle. They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, I can bench press a 1973 Cadillac at this point.

 I do believe that we are here to learn some thing, or many things as well as to share our gifts. Looking back, yeah, forgiveness has always been front and center in my life. I have had many opportunities and experiences where I have been called on to forgive others and, after all, I am supposed to do that seventy times seven to infinity and beyond if memory serves me correctly. I have let so many of those indiscretions go, but it has been a struggle. I can admit that. Some of them were incredibly difficult to forgive and took years but it is part of life to move forward. You probably won't forget, but you can forgive. It is a necessity and quite healthy for you to do so. I have found that the more people I forgive, the lighter the load on my shoulders becomes.

I know that God forgives me my trespasses. I must do the same for others. It says just that in the prayer Jesus gave us on the mount. You know, the Our Father...

Therefore, I forgive those that abused me sexually, physically and emotionally. I forgive those that stole from me. I forgive those that took away my friends and family members over Lockerbie, Scotland, in the 80's and on 9/11. I forgive those that mocked me for my faith or physical appearance. I forgive my son's Father for never being there for either of us. That is his loss, not mine. I forgive those that have made me feel unloved, unwelcomed and more of an after thought than a priority. As of today, I forgive all those that have trespassed against me. I will just let it go and leave it all in the past.

I hope that all that I have trespassed against can do the same for me.

God bless and have a good week.

Mare