Saturday, September 10, 2011

always remember... and forgive

Today marks 10 years since we all lived a day of extreme hatred, pain, and sadness...


And today, I am praying that we can all live this day with love, remembrance of those that were lost, and a hope for the future... 
A hope that one day we can live in a world where there is no more hatred or resentment... Where people don't teach their innocent children to hate... Where violence and wrath are not weapons of justice.

I, personally, have experienced a few "hate-peddlers" in my life, and it is one of the saddest and most disturbing things that I will ever see to stand by and watch as they attempt to "peddle" their resentment and anger for others... This is not God's plan for any of us. Where there is not understanding and forgiveness, there is no chance for love to grow.
I understand that it can sometimes be very difficult to find forgiveness, especially for acts such as the one we are remembering today... But if you know that it comes from a place of GRACE, then how can that not be a great place to start? When you find that peace in forgiveness, it is such a beautiful feeling {I speak from experience here}. Believe me, I know I am not perfect when it comes to these sorts of things... But I do know that expelling hate and resentment from your life is an amazing feeling! And holding yourself to a standard of His GRACE is so fulfilling...

 
I hope that today, you find some understanding and forgiveness in a situation in your life... And you find enough peace to give love a chance to grow.

If not, I'm sure you can just turn on your television, and witness the enormity of pain and sadness-- in our fellow American citizens-- that has resulted from these acts of hate...

God bless you all.

Wrath and anger are hateful things,
yet the sinner hugs them tight.
The vengeful will suffer the LORD's vengeance,
for he remembers their sins in detail.
Forgive your neighbor's injustice;
then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.
Could anyone nourish anger against another
and expect healing from the LORD?
Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself,
can he seek pardon for his own sins?
If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath,
who will forgive his sins?
Remember your last days, set enmity aside;
remember death and decay, and cease from sin!
Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor;
remember the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults.
Sir 27:30 - 28:7

4 comments:

Katie @ minivan diva said...

Such an important reminder to also forgive in addition to remembering.

Kate at Green Fashionista said...

What a beautiful post, I can't believe it's been 10 years yet the emotions of it all are still very strong.

Tatiana said...

Beautiful written Emily. Forgiveness is such a hard thing to accomplish.
I still struggle with that issue.

Lori said...

I love this. Love, love, love. Thank you for the reminder