Heavyn Hadl (post and comments at the end)

This I Believe Essay --

Heavyn Hadl Forgiveness is a word that everyone is familiar with. We hear it sometimes daily and are told that we should have this in our hearts. But it is often that we don't always do it. Well, at least I don't. My mom and dad have taught me forgiveness and it has been tattooed in my brain since day one. I've always understood that I must always forgive those who hurt me and have even encouraged it to others. ¨It's hard to forgive, but we must do it, not only for others, but for ourselves as well¨. But I had never really had an incident happen to me before that I had to use that forgiveness. And after that point, I had realized how difficult it was to forgive. A very important person to me fell back on their word, causing me to fall and get hurt. It was so bad that I went to all lengths to ignore this person because of the betrayal that invaded my heart. The pain and anger were real, and it was eating me up. But, I couldn't talk myself into forgiving this person. I didn't realize how much that keeping that grudge was hurting me. It was hurting me more than the person who did me wrong. One Sunday morning, I went to church with no intention of forgiving, still. However, I sat through the sermon and listened to every word my preacher spoke. It felt as if he was speaking straight to me. Do you know what the sermon was about? You'll never guess. Forgiveness. I took every word to heart and found it in myself to forgive that person. After I forgave them, it was like weight was lifted off of my chest and shoulders. You don't realize how much it hurts you to hold on to pain. The relief of forgiveness is incredible. Always forgive, but that doesn't mean you have to forget.

 Three comments:

 Ashlynn Wright: I agree very much. I think we should keep a positive outlook on the terrible things that are going on right now. We should trust that the Lord has a plan and we should keep our faith and trust in him. We have to keep our heads up.

 Tiffany Fulcher: I am so sorry that you have had to live with that pain. But, I agree with what you said. It is important to always love our parents and our loved ones. I don't know your dad, but I know he is one lucky man to have daughters like you and Brittany. Y´all are both amazing people and have made huge impacts on my life, and so many other people's lives, in ways neither of you will understand. 

James Dean Barnett: I can relate to you. Both of my parents have always been there for me and have given me everything I could need or want. They are amazing parents and have supported me through everything. We are truly blessed to have parents like we have.