Getting Sappy

Growing up I rarely cried. I felt for my friends and family when they were hurting, just as I feel for my aching family right now. But I don’t tend to cry very often.

Then… I got married… Then… I had a baby.

I’m thinking about this because Erin and I are watching Grey’s Anatomy (TiVo’d, so we’re behind) and I just watched two pretty incredible things.

The first was a premature baby gets delivered looking grey, and its mother passed away due to a car accident. When the baby started breathing and cried, I couldn’t help but cry myself. It lasted through the commercial break and on.

Then the second thing happened. The baby’s grandfather met with the man who hit their car. When the man said he was sorry, the grandfather went up with rage and sadness consuming him. He met the man and offered a gentle touch. I couldn’t help but think how hard this forgiveness would have been for me.

This is what it means to forgive. It’s not forgiving the family member because they made a small mistake. It’s not forgiving your wife when she misspeaks and hurts you. While those are important things, and should be forgiven.

What truly makes us followers of Christ is our forgiveness for those who have altered our lives irrevocably. Forgiving those people who we have no ties too, and may even want to smash their face in, is the true gift of Love for each-other.

Having Rachel makes all of these things feel so much more real in my life. I feel like I can imagine so much more, and recognize so much more pain that might come in my life. To lose Rachel, and look at the person who made it happen. I truly do hope I can offer the same forgiveness if my life was hurt so drastically.

Peace,
+Tom/Bob

posted by Tom at 10:03 PM