Forgiveness

I had a best friend once.

I knew everything about him and he likewise knew everything about me. He lived about three minutes from me and we would spend almost every afternoon together. Our favorite things to do were play on the trampoline and write music. We went to the same church, we talked the same way and we made the same facial expressions.

It was weird.

I never had a brother, but he was the closest thing I ever had to one. I loved him like a brother and he loved me the same. Our moms were each other's moms.

It was nice.

It was nice knowing that no matter what I was going through; who I was dating or who I was breaking up with - he was there for me.

Best friends forever...

I am hoping that you have had a friend like that in your life at some point and you can relate to what I am saying. Once you have that kind of bond, that kind of brotherhood or sisterhood - you don't want to lose it. But I lost mine.

Day after day of seeing your best friend and it just ends. It dies. It died.

No "goodbye." No "see you later." Just end.

He wanted to do everything I was going to do. He lacked imagination. He lacked ambition for his life. So, when he suddenly said he wanted to be a pastor just because he thought it was the "right thing to do" - I called him on it. I totally did not do it the right way, so I apologized and apologized. I wrote him an apology letter. But no matter how much I admitted fault, he could not bring himself to forgive me. The best friendship I had ever had came to an abrupt end because he refused to forgive.

In Mark 11:25 Jesus commands us to forgive one another. I am to forgive him just as much as he is supposed to forgive me. I could be way off with this, but I think God wants us to forgive because He does not want to see good things come to an end. Pride severs the thickest of bonds and forgiveness can strengthen the weakest of them. We are told to forgive one another and as such, your children will learn that tomorrow morning.

Blessings and Forgiveness,
Brantley