Hello Her and His Voice readers,

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I had the opportunity over Father’s Day weekend to go back home (to Rock Rapids, Iowa) for a Celebration of Life service for someone. Because of a variety of circumstances it brought a time of reflection for me about the times throughout our lives where the need to forgive someone has been requested or needed.

For myself, the realization again hit that forgiveness, (although it isn’t probably meant to be) can really be more healing and bring more peace to the person giving the forgiveness than the person on the receiving end.

Throughout history and in many ways forgiveness has played a huge role. In areas where you would expect understanding and guidance on forgiveness like the Bible:

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:31-32

And then there are the unexpected places we hear about forgiveness like through music:

Lord have mercy

Love, compassion

Lord, forgiveness

Ain’t no future without forgiveness

That is from The Isley Brothers and Santana’s song “Mercy Mercy Me”.

And then from Don Henley’s song,

“The Heart of the Matter”

And by thoughts seem to scatter

But I think it’s about forgiveness

Forgiveness

Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore.

And if those aren’t enough ways we need to learn about forgiveness our children and grandchildren can teach us what they have learned through children’s movies like Pinocchio. In the movie and story of Pinocchio, Geppeto fulfilled his desire to be a father by creating his hand-carved wood puppets. However Pinocchio made mistakes and Geppeto realized Pinocchio wasn’t perfect but he accepted these mistakes and felt that his job as Pinocchio’s ‘father’ was to forgive and inspire Pinocchio to be his best version of himself.

So Her and His Voice readers. Whether it is from the Bible, the music we listen to or through the lessons the children around us share, I hope you…like me…can forgive and learn to let it go. You’ll feel so much better!

And the folks on the receiving end of your forgiveness will too.

Take care and God bless,

Micki