Forgiveness

Forgiveness was a hard thing for me in High School. During my freshman year, a friend of mine had hurt my feelings pretty bad. She had been one of my best friends before the incident. She was the one who got me to love to read as much as I do now. She and I played at each other’s house all the time. We ran together in track. I had a very hard time forgiving her for this thing she had done. I wouldn’t talk to her at school anymore. I wouldn’t invite her over. The summer shortly after this, she was killed in a car accident. It didn’t take long for that forgiveness for her to come. The hardest part after that was forgiving myself for the way I had treated her. Matt: 6:15 “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” It took almost 10 years after the accident that I finally realized that I had to forgive myself for the way I had treated her for the things she had done to me. Up to that point I was filled with the guilt that I had allowed such a trivial thing to come between us. I don’t remember exactly when, but one day I finally realized that life is too short. I had to forgive myself for the way I had acted and I had to move on. No, I couldn’t ask for her forgiveness in person, or to even tell her that I forgave her for what she had done. I prayed so hard that she would forgive me and I begged for forgiveness from her. I knew in my heart that she had forgiven me even though she wasn’t here to tell me herself. So, it was time I forgave myself. I think that too many times in our lives, we are too hard on ourselves for something we have done wrong. D&C 64:10 “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” I believe that this scripture means to forgive ourselves as well when it says “ALL men.” I’ve learned from that experience. It’s not worth it to hold a grudge. You never know when something may happen that will cause you to not be able to confront that person and ask for their forgiveness. Ask it NOW! Don’t wait. Get over it!