Tuesday 18 December 2012

Forgiveness vs Revenge

Time changes us. The experiences we have shape us. The friends we make mould our hearts. Life teaches us some of the most important lessons we'll ever learn.

One of the lessons I am learning at the moment, is that of forgiveness. It's a work in progress and it takes time. I never used to think it was easy, but this time it seems harder than ever. Trying to define how forgiveness is better than revenge is difficult when sometimes that's all you really want.

Revenge twists the heart. It holds on to the pain and lets it shape your future. It stops your heart from healing and allows it to shrink and grow bitter. It allows you to hate and to hate those around you. It allows you to keep hurting. It causes mistakes to become catastrophes. It causes more pain than it heals. Is it really worth that for a moment's satisfaction?

Forgiveness is hard. It means letting go of the pain. It means trusting that you can heal and move on. It means not allowing pain to prevent you from loving and trusting again. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength, of defiance. By learning to forgive, you are saying that you fight it. That you can get up from whatever has knocked you down. That by learning to find joy and love again, your heart can heal and learn to love even more than before, because you understand the cost of forgiveness.

Revenge is burning the bridges and building indestructible walls. It is losing everything and gaining nothing.

Forgiveness is the beginning of rebuilding something broken and it allows us safety and hope. While we need walls to defend ourselves, we need bridges to let people in. Despite the damage our mistakes make, it's also the people I love most who make me feel like I can cope with whatever life throws at me.

Forgiveness. It's difficult but I am getting there.

No comments:

Post a Comment