[270 words]
There once was a woman who hurt her friend. The friend gossiped widely about the hurt and repaid the hurt in a thousand slights and putdowns. Their relationship deteriorated, and they went to a wise woman in their village to get her help to restore their relationship. The wise woman sent the first woman into the field to bring back a boulder the size of a basketball. She sent the second woman into the field to bring back a thousand pebbles. When the women returned, the wise woman ordered the women to replace the stones exactly as before. The first woman could replace the boulder with great effort, but the second complained that it was impossible to restore the thousand pebbles to their original state.
The wise woman then told the first woman to repent for her large, hurtful action. The wise woman told the second that she had the harder task: to repent for the thousand small hurts she had inflicted (Everett L. Worthington, pp. 137-138, Hope Focused Marriage Counseling).
Sometimes it seems easier to gossip, put down, and hurt those who hurt us than it is to forgive. Forgiveness seems to be so many times unthinkable, or at least the last resort.
Yet forgiveness is the key towards reestablishing our relationships and also modeling the life that Christ would have us to live. It was Jesus who taught, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt. 6:14-15).
Who do you need to forgive today?
Mark T. Tonkery
Norval Park church of Christ
Zanesville, OH