Why? Why did you forgive that person?
Forgiveness is a door to peace and happiness. It is a small, narrow, and cannot be entered without stooping. It is also hard to find. But no matter how long the search is , it can always be found.
Fellow toastmasters and friends, is your life driven by anger and resentment? Do you have grudges and never get over of it? Do you have someone whom you can never forgive? In the same way, have you also tried to ask forgiveness from someone whom you have hurt? When that person can’t forgive you and will never forgive you, how would you feel?
Isn’t forgiveness will bring us the capacity to love and to be loved again?
How should we forgive and why? I can’t really tell you. It’s probably the hardest thing you’ll ever attempt to do.
But I can tell you what I’ve experienced personally. When I was about 11 years old, I witnessed my family being oppressed by the family of the brother of my stepfather who owned the house we have rented. At my young age, understanding what life is all about is still unclear to me. What I clearly understood at that time was we were going to leave our house as soon as possible. And the worst thing about it was we don’t even know where to move. I have learned that both parties agreed an installment payment of that house. Indeed, we already paid 1/3 of the full payment. So I asked my mother, why do they let us leave the house. There was silence. Her tears began to fall. I was so hurt. It seems that my heart was squeezed out. I could not just bear seeing my mom in pain. I could also see that she was angry and helpless but not hopeless. Then I have learned that this greedy-fat-wicked wife of my uncle had sold the house to another buyer fully paid. Unfortunately until now I don’t know exactly the details why my father did not fight back and call for justice. We have been cheated! – that’s all I know. I was really a dilemma for us since we have nowhere to go. But a good Samaritan, a neighbor of ours indeed let their vacant room for us to stay while our new small house is on construction. Life is so bitter for us since we live like a broken family. My father has a very timid personality with some pride of him that he did not stay and slept with us in the room. I felt so pity with my father since he only slept at his truck. My father is a driver hauling fresh pineapples in Del Monte. Every bite of mosquito in his sleep at night is equivalent of my anger I felt to that family. I have promised that one day I will take revenge. I said to myself that time will come I would burn their own house and that they will have nowhere to go like what had happened to us. I will show no mercy and they will come and beg to us like beggars in the street.Yes, my plan to revenge is one of my motivations to be optimistic in life, to work harder and be successful. Years later I meet a person who changed my definition of life. It’s Him. He taught me that it’s His love that keeps us alive. And that one of the most beautiful expressions of love is forgiving. He also taught me that revenge is not ours to make. Vengeance is God’s. Let me tell you that honestly that after such a sincere and clear understanding of the right attitude of forgiveness, I live a life peacefully with a healthy heart free of hatred. Plus, God is faithful to his words. We happily moved in our new home. Then I’ve heard that this family who oppressed us was in financial crisis because someone had a serious illness in their family. I tell you I’m not really glad of what had happened. I have already forgiven them and love them once again.
Fellow Toastmasters and friends, it is such nice feeling to forgive. Humility is the essence of forgiveness. Why did I forgive that person? It’s because I believe that once you are able to let go of wrongs that had been done to you, it changes everything. It will change your relationship, your attitudes, your emotional make-up—your whole approach to living. It will give you a better life. And you will find that when you forgive, you’re always a winner. You don’t lose a thing. Because it’s not a sign of weakness to love somebody who hurts you, it’s a sign of strength.
Typed by raipyo with love. <3<3<3
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