Day 3 - Forgive one another

Forgiveness is really an exciting word that we need to use now and again. Forgiveness in the Bible is a release or a dismissal of something, especially sins. We learn how God forgives us and how we should forgive others as Christ forgave us.

I am at the age in life where bits are not falling off but I am getting on and I have a stick to help with the walking, spectacles to focus the sight and aids to help with my hearing. On a recent visit to visit to a lovely lady in a care home I got a call on my phone that I had to answer. I have BlueTooth in my hearing aids which is brilliant for I can now do telephones and no-one can hear the conversation except me. To save disrupting the visit I excused myself and made my way to the reception area where I knew there was a seat.

At reception I was able to lay my stick beside me and take the telephone call. In the middle of the call one of the carers popped her head round the corner and began speaking to me thinking I was a resident. She said, “Hello my friend. I’ve been listening to you having a lovely conversation with yourself. Are you alright now? Tell you what, take my arm and I’ll walk you back to your room.”

To begin with I couldn’t answer her, but her attitude changed when I explained who I was and what I was doing there. For the rest of the afternoon every time she passed by us, she kept saying how sorry she was.

Some would say she overstepped the mark but to be fair I didn’t see her at the start of the phone call to explain why I was where I was.

Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of strength. In Colossians 3: 13 Paul says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” There are no strings attached here, this is what Paul said in his letter. The wording in the Lord’s prayer is another good example that speaks of forgiveness. “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

As far as the incident in the care home is concerned, I didn’t see the need for forgiveness, in fact I thought it quite funny, for it was something that I hadn’t experienced before, but the lady involved was so embarrassed about challenging me that she sought forgiveness. The question arises then of how does seeking forgiveness affect us as individuals.

Seeking forgiveness is a fundamental aspect of personal and relational growth, particularly in a Christian context. It involves recognizing our mistakes and acknowledging the need for God's grace. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

May that verse be with you, all of this day.

Tom Bonnar