I was taking a walk at a local park one cool, crisp Sunday afternoon when I came upon what appeared to be the “all American family,” a mom, dad, a son, and a daughter walking together. The dad though was walking ahead of the family, the son was walking next and the mother and daughter were holding hands walking together. Just then, the son said, “Dad are you ready to accept my apology?” Immediately, the dad responded, “Not yet, I will let you know when I am ready!”

Now I’m not sure what happened to cause the young boy to offer an apology but at that moment, my heart just broke. No matter what the child had done, the father should have turned around, hugged his son and said, “Yes son, I accept your apology and I love you no matter what. I may not love your behavior, (or whatever he had done) but you know I will always love you and forgive you.” What a powerful statement that would have been, I’m sure the little boy would have never forgotten the day his father forgave him, instead he will always hold that memory of his father’s refusal to accept an apology.

How would you describe your words? Has your child ever needed to come to you and ask for forgiveness or have you ever needed to go to your child and ask forgiveness? “I forgive you,” sometimes that is not easy to say. We want to hold on to those negative feelings for a while, but for what, it certainly doesn’t do us any good. Do you remember how many times Jesus Christ said we are to forgive one another? In Matthew 18: 21-22, Jesus tells Peter we are to forgive seven times seventy. If someone has done you wrong, can you imagine saying, “I forgive you” over seventy times?

Just as our Heavenly Father puts no conditions on His love or forgiveness, we too must be willing to love and forgive at a moment’s notice. Just think of the impact on the story of the Prodigal Son if when the father sees his son coming home after spending his inheritance, the father just turned away and didn’t run to greet his son. (Luke 15:11-32) How sad!

The foundation of Christianity rests on the premise that we are forgiven of our sins, all we have to do is ask to be forgiven. There is no hesitation, no conditions, only pure and simple forgiveness. That is what Christ did on the cross for us, he absorbed the sins of the world. The Lord’s Prayer ends with this verse, “. . .For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but it you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14). Let us always remember to forgive just as our Heavenly Father has forgiven us.