“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
― Nelson Mandela

Spring is my favorite season because it’s a time for rebirth and new beginnings. That’s what forgiveness is like for me. It’s a way to let go of the resentment and start healing. With healing comes rebirth and new beginnings.

Not gonna lie, forgiveness is hard. I’ve had to forgive some pretty unforgivable things, but I didn’t do it for the other parties. I did it for me.

A pastor in church once gave this really awesome sermon on forgiveness that hit me pretty hard. It has stuck with me all this time. He compared an unforgivable or hurtful act to someone putting your hand into broken glass. Obviously, it hurts. A lot.

When this happens, most of us hold onto the hurt and refuse to forgive because why should we forgive? That person doesn’t deserve our forgiveness. So, we close up our hands with the glass still in them and go on living our lives ignoring the pain. We allow this person to continue to hurt us.

Over time, our wounds heal around the glass, but the glass is still there. It still hurts somewhere deep down. We hurt ourselves because of our refusal to let go of the hurt, the betrayal, and the anger.

I was holding onto a lot of hurt for a long time. When I finally decided to forgive these things, I had to reopen old scarred wounds to remove the glass. This was even more painful than the initial hurt. But when I did it, oh, it felt so amazing. God was rejoicing with me for my new beginning. I was finally able to allow Him to heal me.

Now, forgiveness is like muscle memory for me. People still do hurtful, unforgivable things, but I no longer hold onto my resentment and pain. I can forgive them just as God forgives me. Are you like past Chaslene, struggling to forgive?

“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Ephesians 4:32 NLT