Learn to Forgive

This week I have learned so many. My problem with the family makes me learn from many different sides. At first I completely blame my parents for what had happened. Now I look at what happened in a different side.

In my prayer, I always ask to be able to forgive. Jesus said I have to forgive 70 x 7 times. Forgiving is the hardest part in life. But I realized one thing in this Easter that God has forgiven me through His Son. I am only a human and imperfect yet I receive so much love from Him. So I have decided to forget about what happened and start to forgive my parents. I used to accuse them that they didn’t love me, for who I am; instead of asking it which I know they love me so much, I learn to love them as who they are. No matter what had happened, they are my parents.

This week I read an article titled “The Shadow of the other” (Intisari Magazine, April 2009). This article also becomes my consideration toward love and forgiving. Here is a short resume of the article:

One day an Axe, a Saw, a Hammer and a Fire made a journey together. In the middle of the dessert they stopped because the road was block with Steel. Supplied with their power, they tried to get rid of the Steel.

“Leave it to me! I’ll get rid of it,” said the Axe. The Axe started to hit it again and again. But the Steel is too hard and strong, finally the Axe became blunt and it gave up.

“OK then, let me handle it,” said the Saw. With its sharp teeth, the saw began to saw. What was the result? Still the same, all the saw’s teeth became fall off.

“What did I tell you?” said the Hammer. “You wouldn’t be able to do this. I’ll show you how.” What happened? It hammers once and its head flung away. The Steel remain the same.

Mean while, the Fire was quietly listen to his friends argument and decided to raise its voice, “May I try to help?" Without waiting for their consent it started to circle and softly hug the Steel. It hugged so tightly and never let it go. Finally the hardest of the Steel melted.

There are many stubborn hearts to fight with furious and high self esteem. But no heart can stand the warm love fire. As Carl Gustav Jung, the famous psychoanalyst from Swiss, used to say, “Where love rules, there is no will to power, and where power predominant, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.”