It’s Thanksgiving time and I always wind up thinking about not only all of the people and things that I am thankful for in my life but also forgiveness for some reason. I think this is the perfect time to reach out and either forgive someone or ask someone for forgiveness. You don’t even really need the other person to apologize or ask for forgiveness and you don’t even need them to forgive you if you’re the one who apologizes. The important thing is that you open your heart to the process of forgiving. If they accept, then that’s the cherry on top.
Here are some videos that capture the sweet power of forgiveness. I hope you indulge in turkey and plenty of forgiveness this holiday season. It’s just as important to you as it is to the other person.
Scene from The Mission
ArchBishop Desmond TuTu speaks of forgiveness
I love this song called Forgiveness by Jim Witter
FORGIVENESS
(written by J.Witter/B. Tomberlin)
Little Mickey Johnson was my very best friend
In first grade we swore we’d stay that way to the end
But in seventh grade somebody stole my bike
I asked Mickey if he knew who did it, and he lied
Cause it was him…
And when I found out it hit me like a ton of bricks
And I can still see that look on his face when I said
“I never want to talk to you again”
Sometimes we lose our way
We don’t say things we should say
We hold on to stubborn pride
When we should put it all aside
To waste the time we’re given seems so senseless
And one little word shouldn’t be so hard
Forgiveness…
A little card arrived on my wedding day
“Best wishes from an old friend” was all it had to say
No return address, no, not even a name
But the messy way that it was written gave it away
It was him…
And I just had to laugh as the past came flooding through my mind
I should have picked up that phone right then and there
But I just didn’t make the time
(Chorus)
Sunday morning paper arrived on my step
The first thing I read filled my heart with regret
I saw a name I hadn’t seen in a while
It said he was survived by a wife and a child
And it was him…
When I found out, the tears just fell like rain
Cause I realized that I’d missed my chance
To ever talk to him again…
(Chorus)
(Tag) Forgiveness…
And one little word shouldn’t be so hard
Little Mickey Johnson was my very best friend
©2002 Curb Songs (ASCAP)/Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada, Baby Squared Songs (SOCAN)/Mike Curb Music (BMI). All rights reserved. Used by permission. International Copyright Secured. (1)
Tyler Perry discuss how Forgiveness has helped him
Leona Lewis sings about Forgiveness
lyrics:
mmmmm
i don’t want to spend another day
pointing fingers while im placing blame
i’m no angel, imperfect myself
coz baby i get lonely here now
and i don’t want to put it all on you
i admit i did some painful things it’s true
and i’m sorry for them, i’m making amends
for always thinking i was innocent
starting today
i’m gonna change
don’t wanna make the same mistakes
coz i can see a new horizon
the ice around my heart is melting
and the hurt i feel is slowly dying
now i’m no longer crying
the bridge we burnt is being built again
it’s leading to a new beginning
and it may never be the way it was
and that’s because i’m talking about
forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness
i wish we could take back the things we said
coz what we said is not always what we meant
we lost out heads in the moment
and the words we used them like a weapon
but no one thinks that we will walk away
and we hate being the people we became
i wonder bout that we’re better than that
and i still cherish all the things we had
starting today
i’m gonna change
don’t wanna make the same mistakes
coz i can see a new horizon
the ice around my heart is melting
and the hurt i feel is slowly dying
now i’m no longer crying
the bridge we burnt is being built again
it’s leading to a new beginning
and it may never be the way it was
and that’s because i’m talking about
forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness
if everybody could forgive and forget
(just forget)
think of all the times that we could spend
being friends
think about all the lives we could change
and all the love we could make
maybe how the world would be a better place
in the end woah
starting today
i hope that we will change
and not make the same mistakes
do you know that
i can see a new horizon
the ice around my heart is melting
and the hurt i feel is slowly dying
now i’m no no no
the bridge we burnt is being built again
it’s leading to a new beginning
and it may never be the way it was
and that’s because i’m talking about
forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness
forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness
(spoken) if everyone could just forgive
the world would be a much better place
heeee-eey
forgiveness
mmmmm