Forgiveness is the Fragrance of Love

Love is defined by dictionary.com as a noun that is "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person" or "a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend. The Bible defines love as being "patient, kind, not jealous, not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it doesn't anger easily, it doesn't keep a record of wrong doings. Love doesn't get happy over evil but rejoices in truth. It protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." A Burundi, Africa Proverb says, "Where there is love, there is no darkness." Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, "Intense love does not measure, it just gives." And an anonymous quote, " Forgiveness is the fragrance that only love can grow."

Love isn't that complicated. It's what we do with that love that makes it crumble under pressure or become fragrant in life. Do you put stipulations on love? Have you ever thought or said, "I will love you...if ?" That isn't real love then. Maybe you feel someone has done you wrong and so you are choosing to be angry instead of loving because you are justified? It's understandable when you have a perceived pain or real heartache to become angry. But, what do you do with that? Do you make threats to others? Do you become so cruel that you choose to cause pain because you feel justified? Do you blame others for your attitude? Do you want to make people pay? Do you hang onto events and package them where the truth is muddied? What are you gaining from the lack of love? Is it your reward to be powerful and belittle those that love you even if they did make mistakes or perhaps you perceived that they made mistakes? Do you think it will make you weak to actually go through a process of forgiveness? Forgiveness is the Fragrance of Love. Forgiveness is given because Love outweighs the stipulation of hatred. Don't spew your "justified vile" and then tell someone that you love them. Because then one has to wonder which one is the lie? Forgiveness isn't a weakness but a strength. It is a process of working through your own personal boundaries and your belief about a situation that differs from another. Trust may need to be restored. Life may have just gotten messy. Divorce may be happening. Someone may be rude and hurtful. A Parent may say something in a heated moment and need to talk to a child. A child may say something in a heated moment and need to talk with a family member. A co-worker may be determined to make your working with them difficult. We have people around us that make their choices on their behavior. So, do you join them in the weedy bed of hatred? Or do you step away and regroup, define your boundaries and make sure you are not talking in hatred? Love isn't just a noun. It's a noun in action. It should have life and movement to it. It should be fragrant for actual joy to be in your heart where you can share it with others. Don't allow yourself to get stuck in hatred. Boundaries need to be set, let go of what cannot be changed, change what you need to change, accept your power and your weakness in changing others and choose love. We do not have to love what others do but forgiveness is the fragrance of love that needs to span our world. If the cup is overflowing with hatred it will be a bitter cup to drink. But when you start pouring in the fragrance of love it pushes out the bitterness of the heart and your cup will be overflowing.