What does it mean to forgive?
What is Forgiving?
What a beautiful morning, birds are chirping, and the pigeons are creating a cacophony with their ‘poo cooing’. I have just finished my fresh lemon drink and oats for breakfast — settling into the chair to enjoy the present moment. I am on the side patio, and the gentle breeze provides respite from yesterday’s heat.
Flicking through my Facebook, I notice a posting in the feed. It is a wisdom card which reads:
‘Do not judge others as you do not walk their footsteps’
The words are so true as sometimes we are all judge too quickly.
“Do you truly know what it means?” God started, startling me.
I am not expecting this.
“Not now God, I do not have my computer to type your words” panicking and clearing the table in preparation for my laptop.
“No need for the laptop — you will recall all these later. Don’t panic” God continues
“A bit presumptuous of you there, are you sure I will recall our conversation?” I protest.
“Have faith” If I have not mistaken, it sounded like it was coming from one of the pigeons. I thought I am going insane; I understand the poo-cooing? Arghhhhh!
“You are not and don’t be silly” I am reassured.
“So do you know what those words you just read mean?” God continues.
“So let me see. I think I got this one. The words simply say to me — not to judge others as I do not know what their experience in life is. Simply isn’t it?”
“Yes it is simple, and No you have not got it.”
“Arghhh, so frustrating God help me” thinking aloud.
“I will.”
“Let us start with the last few words ‘you don’t walk their footsteps’, and I will tell you a story to help you. Once upon a time up in ‘God Land” where all beautiful spirits reside……..”
“Sounds like it’s going to be a long one here.”
“Stop interrupting.”
“Sorry,” I thought
“Accepted”
“Where was I?
In this God Land, there are plenty of happy, smiling and peaceful entities going about enjoying being Perfect. One curious little entity, let’s call it E1, shoots a question.
E1: “God I know I am Perfect but how come I do not feel Perfect?”
“That is an excellent question E1” God answers and continues.
“What part of perfection do you not feel?”
E1 thinks for a while then reply:
“Well, Perfection is about loving, forgiving, helping, being content, peaceful, joyous, etc., etc., etc.” E1 must have seen the movie The King & I.
“So what part of Perfection do you not feel?” God clarifies.
“Well, can I feel again ‘Forgiving’ because I do not remember what it feels like to forgive” E1 smiles.
“OK if that is what you want, E1, I will grant it to you. But for you to feel what it is like to forgive, you will need some other entity to forgive.” waving another spirit over — E2, a big smile on E2’s face.
God does cause entities to smile.
“Hey E2, can you please help us? Your friend, E1 here wants to feel forgiveness. I would need you to be the entity that E1 forgives and to do that you will need to do something horrible and nasty to E1 so that he has a reason to forgive. Is this arrangement OK?” God is most diplomatic.
“Of course, I love E1, and I want to help as much as I can” E2 still smiling and E1 nods enthusiastically.
Then God continues…. “However, so that E1 truly knows and truly understands and thus feel forgiveness, I will need to cause you two to forget this arrangement. Otherwise, it will not be a real experience. And to let you feel I will need to convert you two into physical forms so that E1 can feel forgiveness through this physical form.”
“That sounds cool” E1 and E2 ‘poo cooes’ in unison.
So with a wave of the hand, God transforms E1 and E1 into human forms, causing both of them to forget their arrangement.
In the human world, and as arranged E2 did a horrible thing to E1 so wrong that it destroys E1 physically and emotionally. After a time frame through suffering and pain, E1 finds the strength to forgive E2 and in doing so feels the weight of pain and suffering lifting.”
“I get it , I get it……” I interrupted.
“What did you get?” God answered.
“The words ‘you do not walk their footsteps’ mean that I do not know my own soul’s agenda or indeed the plan of every person I meet and connect. Be they friends or enemies, they all serve a purpose in my human life and they all have a prior arrangement with me. Although I really do not know what the agenda is, or the arrangements are, everyone I meet is here to help me fulfill what I am sent to this world for. So we really should not judge others too quickly, especially our enemies as they also have a purpose in my life — even if it means for them to hurt me. I should, therefore, bless everyone………” I am now jumping off my chair rushing to turn my laptop on.
“Bye bye my dear E1”
I have no time to say goodbye to God…… just need to type these words.
Whew DONE !!!!!!!
