"Then came Peter unto him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
And Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times seven: but until seventy times seven"
St Matthew 18:21-22
To continue on in the circle please visit
I have always thought of this scripture as one person being hurt by another over and over and over again. But I have also come to realize that it can apply as well to one single hurt. The kind of hurt that goes deep and is hard to forgive. The kind of hurt that takes time to heal. Learning to forgive that kind of hurt is a process. I am finding it necessary to forgive in steps and that just when I think I have dealt with it, some other aspect of it comes up to bite me. This may well take me 70x7. But the biggest lesson I have learned is that even thought it takes time and effort, it is so worth it. Because every time I let go of another piece, I free that piece of my heart and it opens more room for happiness and light in my life. Ultimately forgiveness is not for the one who has wronged us, but for us personally. Forgiveness allows us to let go of things that would weigh us down, and allow the full light of the atonement into our lives, into our hearts, and for us to draw closer to Christ in humility and gratitude.
