The best motivation for digging down deep and forgiving another person no matter what the offense is that it primarily benefits us.
We forgive primarily for ourselves – not for the perpetrator of bad deeds.
Forgive doesn’t mean condone.
And it surely doesn’t mean that we have to subject ourselves to further hurt.
People who have been wronged often spend the rest of their lives cloaked in animosity that can turn them into someone they don’t want to be.
Dan Snyder died after riding in a car at excessive speed with his Atlanta Thrasher’s hockey teammate Dany Heatley in 2003. But Sndyer’s father publicly forgave Heatley, spoke in his defense before the court and allowed Heatley to go on with his career and life even if his son could not.
I’m not sure I could do that – and most certainly it is amazing the Snyder’s could be ready to forgive so soon after losing their son.
When faced with smaller but irritating offenses, I often think of the gift Graham Synder gave himself, his wife and family and young Heatley in the name of forgiveness.
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