Let it go...

Sometimes, one or the other of you is going to just plain mess up, do the wrong thing, or hurt the other in some way.  I know Darrell and I each certainly have.  And even when you think you've forgiven the other person, it can be tough to really let it go.

I don't even have really great suggestions for how to not only forgive, but also let it go.  I can tell you that the two things I think that have helped me with this are:  to pray about the situation and for God's help; and, I almost hate to put this in the same sentence, but the other is just getting older.

See, I kind of like my 40's so far.  I don't seem to stress as much about little slights that I'm sure I've caused other people, and I also don't get so hurt by the little things that everyone else does.  I forgive myself and I forgive others much more easily than I used to.  And, really, I think it's at least in part because I've just gotten older, experienced more, and finally realized that we really all do make mistakes, and no matter how hard we try or how much grace God gives us, we continue to make mistakes.  Even when I think I've over come one problem, it either comes back up again maybe even years later, or a new personal problem seems to crop up in its place.  This used to drive me crazy.  Now, not so much.  I'm not saying I don't try to improve.  I just don't beat myself up about it so much along the way.

I learned something about myself recently though.  Although I am quick to forgive myself and others and seem to have an easier time letting go than I used to, I still have a tough time letting go of even small slights that come from corporations, or any kind of businesses that I deal with that do something I deem as wrong.  I'm still trying to figure out why that is, because it really only recently occurred to me that I'm this way.  I think Darrell is also.  I think it's part of why he left five different companies and we moved from state to state before finally finding a job that he liked.  So, I have more to mull over.

In the meantime, I'm going to forgive my husband for leaving junk out all over the kitchen counter the past few days.  That I can handle.