I like to say that I am getting to the age where I am forgetting the names of those whom I have held grudges against.
What is a grudge?
A grudge is when a person is persistently mad at someone else.
They can't let go of a wrong or a hurt, whether is be real or unreal, intentional or unintentional.
By the very nature of our human DNA, we as followers of Christ can lower ourselves into carrying around a grudge like a heavy ball and chain.
In his best-selling book, "The Telling Room", Michael Paterniti shares a true story he heard when visiting his father's ancestral village in Sicily.
Every day while he was in the village he saw a very old woman walking with her cane, struggling up a steep road to get to the local cemetery. It was said that at her tortoise pace, the walk from her home to the cemetery and back took about six hours out of her day.
What grief inspired her difficult daily walk?
Was she driven by sorrow over a departed child or a deceased husband, the love of her life?
No, the locals told Paterniti that she was driven by Astio, or bitter hatred.
Her archenemy was buried in that cemetery. So, rain or shine, the old woman walked up the hill every day to her enemy's gravesite, just to spit on it one more time.
My suggestion to you today is to simply, "let it go." Make a choice to release the resentment and anger. Let's the Holy Spirit permeate not only your spirit but your soul.
And remember: life is short - do you really want to fill your time up with a grudge?
Just a thought for a Wednesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment