Losing?

Tonight I am going to a Third Day and Tenth Avenue North concert with some youth. I know some songs by each band, but decided to spend some time listening to each band this morning, especially Tenth Avenue North since I don't know them as well.

I really liked this lyric from their song "Feels Like I've Been Losin'"

"This is love or this is hate
We all have a choice to make

Oh Father won't you forgive them
They don't know what they've been doin' (oh no)
Oh Father give me grace to forgive them
Cause I feel like the one losin'"

The rest of the song goes on to talk about how hard it is to turn the other cheek, to forgive seventy times seven times as Jesus tells his disciples we are called to do. And it is hard. And we do feel like the ones losing when we forgive. And our society tells us we need to stand up for ourselves, we need to get even.

But the truth is when we forgive, we gain so much more then we lose. And I know I am as guilty as anyone else of this. But the world definitely needs more forgiveness and fewer grudges, and sometimes we just need to ask for the grace to forgive and let it go. "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."

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