Forgiveness

It’s really hard to forgive others who did us wrong especially if that person is one whom you consider as a friend. I used to have a neighbor who came and cleaned the house three times a week. She did some house chores like vacuuming, mopping, washing dishes, dusting, throwing out the trash and cleaning the bathroom. She worked for me for seven months and we became friends. She’s the first Mexican woman who became my friend. Before she starts her work, we go out walking first for our exercise. While we were out walking, I asked her to take photos of me with the nice sceneries that we passed by with my digital camera. Everytime she make tortillas she gave us a bunch and she even showed me how to do it. In return I gave her lumpia and pancit whenever I cook. I also tried to witness to her about the Lord Jesus Christ and invited her to church with her 2 grandkids.

After 5 months though, I noticed that some of my jewelries were missing. The diamond ring that my hubby gave me and the matching necklace and earrings were not in my jewelry box no more. So I asked her if she’s seen it because nobody go in and out of our room except her besides me and my hubby. She said she didn’t see it and didn’t take it. So I just let it go just like that though those jewelries had sentimental value to me because the diamond ring was hubby’s gift to me when we repeated our vows here in Texas and the matching necklace and earrings were hubby’s gift to me on Christmas 2005. She still continued cleaning our house.

After 2 months since that incident, my digital camera was nowhere to be found. I searched and searched but I can’t find it. I called her on the phone to come and help me find my camera. She came and we searched all over the house but unluckily we didn’t find it. I told her that since she started cleaning the house, most of my valuables were gone. I told her that my digital camera is so dear to me because I bought that with my salary from my first job here in the US. Though I haven’t seen her stealing my things, she’s the only suspect I have since she’s the only one coming in our house. I really felt so bad, tears started to roll down my cheeks. Though it hurts me to fire her, I had to before all my things will be stolen. I even threatened her to report to the police but she hung up on me on the phone. That was the last time I talked to her. I haven’t seen her since then because they moved to another house which is 3 blocks away from my house a few days before I discovered that my digicam was missing. That night I can’t sleep thinking of my camera that was stolen. My hubby told me not to think about it so I can sleep. He said it’s just a piece of metal and we can’t do anything now to find it. He told me to forgive my suspect, the person I considered as my friend. Well, though I wanted to, it was really hard at that time. I was still hurting and it caused me some sleepless nights and I felt hatred in my heart. I had to do a lot of praying to the Lord and asked Him to give me a forgiving heart. My hubby bought me a new digicam to replace my stolen camera.

A few months had passed and I can say that I had already forgiven her. They said that time heals all the wounds, but for me, it is God who heals all the wounds. Though she didn’t ask forgiveness, I chose to forgive her. How can my Heavenly Father forgive me if I don’t forgive others who wronged me. The Bible says that we should forgive others 70 times seven which means always. No matter what others did to us, we must forgive them because it is the will of God. Forgiveness will release us from the bondage of hatred and bitterness in our hearts.

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