The little things

photos of nephews sent in texts
Wilbur's big lips
Caspian's soft muzzle
the elderly man whistling a classical tune (Rachmaninoff?) coming out of the grocery store the other night
a friend reminding me its okay and perfectly lovely to buy myself flowers
airline drink coupons
this beautiful sunny 75 degree spring day
doodlebugs who melt me with their sweetness and goofyness
babysitting one of my most favorite little ones and having her throw her arms around me in a big hug
late night talks (two nights in a row) with roommates
big trees
texts from friends that make me laugh
the promise of hope and one day all things made new

The recipient of forgiveness

I've been learning a lot about forgiveness lately. The lessons have come in various forms: instruction from a mentor, receiving forgiveness given to me for a wrong I committed, Scripture, and a devotional I'm currently reading.

Here are some excerpts from the devotional I've been reading*:

• Refusing to forgive is tantamount to re-crucifying Christ. Instead of seeing stones rolled away, we throw stones at each other. 
• Forgiving is not ignoring wrongdoing, but overcoming evil inside us and in our world with love. To forgive is not just a command of Christ but the key to reconciling all that is broken in our lives and relationships. 
• [Forgiveness] can heal both the forgiver and the forgiven. In fact, it could change the world if we allowed it to. 
• When Christians do put Christ's command into practice by forgiving, they create a ripple effect that can touch thousands of lives and even affect the course of history. 
• When we forgive we set ourselves free from the demon of bitterness. But we also set loose the power of love in the world. 
• If the cross and resurrection are not just historic happenings but present realities, which I believe they are, then what we celebrate at Easter is the healing power of God's forgiveness at work in our world today. 
• Jesus offered his disciples the "keys of the kingdom." We hold the key of forgiveness in our hands. And we must choose whether or not to use it. Christ wants to use our hands, wounded as they may be, to extend his forgiveness to the world. Will they be closed, or outstretched like his

I am learning that forgiveness is a matter of life and death, especially when it comes to the life (or death) of relationships.  These truths are sitting heavy in my soul, heavy in a good way -- the way that makes me stop and think and linger for a long while, and let the roots of these words sink in deep, in a life-transforming way.

*Johann Christoph Arnold from the book Bread and Wine - Readings for Lent and Easter