Forgiveness In Business

vs. bitterness

Releasing feelings of resentment

To practice Forgiveness, I will:

• be quick to forgive
• apologize and ask for forgiveness
• let go of hurts
• not seek revenge
• respond kindly to those who hurt me

Choosing to Forgive
By Mary Andres Russell

Do you ever hold a grudge? Think about it for a minute. Who comes to mind for you?

A while back, I had a falling out with a friend. On the very same day, I had an accident. While running at full speed, our 80 lb., unbelievably fast dog, ran into me, knocking me down and badly bruising my leg.

My old friend and I have made our apologies, and I feel as though I have let the pain and disappointment of that day go. But do you know,  after many months, the mark on my leg is still there. It’s faint, but there is still a bump and darkening under the skin.

What makes us hold on to this stuff? Is it truly just human nature? Why don’t we just let it go? I have heard a person say that she is very good at holding grudges. One person told me that if someone wrongs him, he purposefully takes revenge!

While difficult, I believe we are called to be better than that. We are called to forgive.

In October of 2006, a milk truck driver, Charlie Roberts, entered a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and systematically shot 10 Amish girls aged 6-13. He then shot himself.

Ironically, Roberts himself suffered from intense grief from the premature death of his young daughter. What is most remarkable is the response of the Amish community to this horrible crime. They did not lay blame or seek revenge. Instead, that very afternoon, the grandfather of one of the Amish girls expressed forgiveness toward the killer. The Amish community reached out to the Roberts family.  Later that week, the Amish outnumbered the non-Amish at Charlie Roberts’ funeral. What strength. What forgiveness.

Is there a grudge that you’ve been holding onto? Is there some dark mark under your skin? This month is the time to release it. Spend some quiet time in nature or alone, look into your heart, and choose to release that anger and pain. The world will be a brighter place for it.

Interview for Forgiveness with this question:

Is there a time when you disagreed with someone? What did you do to fix the situation?

Download The Ultimate Guide to Hiring for Character with questions for all 36 qualities.

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Visit Forgiveness in School>>

Activities
No Matter How You Say It
Curriculum Connections
Croskey’s Corner

Visit Forgiveness in the Community>>

Quotes
Character All Month Calendar
Related Qualities
Character Holiday Activities
Family Activity (with a printable for sending home to parents)