Forgiveness?!

Forgiveness

Tried different size paint pens to create this stone

and four tries later, I am happy with it.

Forgiveness is that way too, keep trying until

you are happy with the result.

It can be hard to give and 

even harder to ask for

When I screw up

and I am not ready to admit that I am wrong;

I carry guilt and shame

Guilt and shame grows like a weed

when it is not 'pulled out'

in its early stages.

When I am ready to  admit I am wrong

in my thought, word, and/or deed;

I first must admit it to myself.

That's hard.

I then admit it to my God,

that is hard to.

That's where forgiveness comes in.

MY God, the mother, father, divine creator of all

forgives me, not because I deserve forgiveness,

however, because by asking the almighty

for forgiveness I am saying I will try as hard

as I possibly can to not screw up again;

And by grace I am absolved;
set free to try harder.

I know that my God forgives me and

will forgive you too.

I promise, I know this from

the depths of my heart and soul.

Here's the hardest part;

forgiving myself.

Most of the time I know when I am wrong

and it is my stubbornness that holds me back

from the peace that comes from forgiveness.

A sin is a sin is a sin, no matter what form.

Who are we to judge
which one is greater or lesser than another?

unconditional forgiveness,

works in the same manner;

forgiveness is forgiveness is forgiveness.

'I can forgive but I will never forget'

sets you up for the lack of forgiveness

to start growing again.

We all have experienced sins against

us that we may never truly forget,

however, we can let go of the emotions

associated with them.

Those emotions can and will eat away

at the forgiveness and all of the sudden

the forgiveness of others or ourselves

ends up right back where it was

when the sin was taking up

way to much space in your heart.

I do not have all the answers

and I make it sound a lot easier than

it really is.

Simply,

keep trying

keep asking for forgiveness 

and most importantly

forgive yourself

so that when you try again

you are beginning with

a clean or at least cleaner slate.

in loving kindness, k