A River Of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is often seen as weakness, an act of surrender, or denial. Yet, true forgiveness is neither passive nor gullible. It is an act of strength, a deliberate choice to release a grip of pain and allow healing to begin. It’s like a river that carves its path through mountains and deserts. Forgiveness can flow through hardened landscapes of a human heart.

I wasted so many years in unforgiveness being too stubborn to release the secrets that I chose to keep to hide a past I didn’t want anyone to see. Not knowing if I let go of the bitterness in my heart, I would be able to heal and move on. That it wasn’t excusing or forgetting my past.

At the core, forgiveness is not about excusing the harm. It’s about acknowledging the pain we feel without allowing it to define us. It’s doesn’t erase what was done, its about reclaiming our power to move forward without dragging the weight of bitterness behind us.

A river is wide, persistent, and unyielding. Perhaps it begins in a small place with hesitation or resistance, just like the thoughts of forgiveness that rise in us quietly in our hearts, a place that’s still bruised. A place where we confront our pain, but still wonder if there is any ounce of humanity left in us in others and ourselves. Maybe there’s a trickle of hope that some forgiveness will be possible. One day we will be able to forgive ourselves as well as others.

One day there their be a river instead of a wall that was used to block further pain. A river that swells with empathy, clarity, and courage. That it is strong enough to carry away resentment and fear.

Forgiveness requires humility, the willingness to accept that we, too are capable of making mistakes. That we deserve grace for our mistakes just as we are called to extend it. This reciprocity doesn’t mean ignoring justice or accountability, it means recognizing that holding onto hatred often punishes the bearer more than the offender. Understanding that peace is more valuable than pride in this way forgiveness becomes a form of wisdom.

When we see that forgiveness is an act that is seen as a path to peace and also a force for healing. The process is never easy, but it is always possible. A reconciliation through the river of forgiveness.

We are often driven by retribution, and a decision to forgive can feel like we are swimming against the current. But, when we choose to forgive, not once but again and again, we can find ourselves carried forward by something larger than ourselves.

Forgiveness is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new one. One that’s shaped not by wounds, but by the wisdom we gained from them.

To forgive is a decision to live freely, and to trust that even the deepest pain can be transformed. Like a river, forgiveness will always find a way forward.