Hello, it’s been awhile and purposely so.  I have been hesitant to share with you once more something that been placed on my heart.  Over the last year or so, I have realized that I am a mess, a hot one.  I am completely flawed and seek so many things to fix me but have come to see that all I need is God and His love towards me.  Today’s post is about something I thought I have mastered, forgiveness, but like all other things we think we master- we quickly learn that we are still capable of learning and humble our arrogant attitude.  Forgiveness is not just moving past and forgetting about who wronged you but it’s a two way street that allows you to ask for forgiveness from those you wronged.  Many of us seek apologies but we don’t like to give them.  To apologize is to humble oneself and seek forgiveness from those you may have wronged and from those who may have wronged you.  I learned this lesson tonight as I asked two people to forgive me, the issues I had with them in my heart was preventing me from moving forward.  I had to make things right.  One of the individuals has not been genuine with me and has consistently shown me a un-Christlike picture of himself but I had to apologize.  I had to apologize for sinking on his level, for being mean to him because he was being mean to me.  There is this passage in Matthew 6 where Jesus is telling His disciples to love their enemies.  This is not something we seek to hear, love our enemies -what?  Yes, Jesus wanted  His disciples to love their enemies.  Shocker!  He said to his disciples that if they only loved those who loved them, they were no different than the Pharisees.  The pharisees were fake people who expected the people to love by a law that they themselves did not live by.  Jesus wanted his disciples to be different than the rest, to really make a difference.  I learned that if I am only kind to those that are kind to me than I am a pharisee parading my doctrine with hypocrisy, no different from those that sit in church and judge others but if I can be nice to those who are mean to me.  Love those who hate me, pray for those who pray against me – then I am truly a disciple, than I can say I belong to God.  When you apologize to your enemies for what you have done towards them to make peace, you are the bigger person- you are the shining star. Your humility allows you to shine as bright as the sun.  Christ wants us to be different, he wants us to really reflect his kind of love and kindness.  He loves us regardless of ourselves, he died for us when he did nothing wrong, he goes the extra mile for us when we desert him and leave him hanging. Jesus’ love is so pure and contagious and life-giving.  He wants us to give out that type of love.  When you make things right and you apologize, even though you was the one hurt, you come out on top and you end up being healed.  You have made peace for yourself and no one else can take that away from you.  

Be blessed, 

Mo