Forgiving God

Today's Light the World challenge is to forgive others, which is a challenge for me for the best possible reason: I couldn't think of anyone I needed to forgive. I haven't been wronged in any serious way, at least, not that I can recall. Thinking of it now, there was that time someone stole the seat of my bicycle, but I've already forgiven them. I have no quarrel with anyone. I am a very lucky man.

However, there have been times when I've felt unlucky. There have been times when I've felt that life has been unfairly difficult and that this life wasn't what I had signed up for, or, if I had signed up for this, I doubted that I knew what I was getting myself into. In short, there have been times when I have felt angry at God, and now I think I should forgive Him for all that.

I don't know how well any of us knew what we were getting ourselves into when we agreed to come to Earth. Not having bodies yet, we would have no idea what it would feel like to feel pain or exhaustion. We would have had no idea what sin or hopelessness or worthlessness felt like. Having spent all our lives in the presence of God, we would have had no idea how it would feel to feel alone and abandoned. We could not possibly imagine how hard or how painful life in Earth would be. Yet, God knew, and He allowed us to agree to come here though He knew that we had no idea what it was that we were agreeing to.

I need to forgive Him for that. There really was no other way. The reason we didn't know what Earth would be like was because we didn't have any experience, and the only way we could gain experience (or a myriad of other blessings essential to our eternal progression) was to come to Earth. We had to come here, even though we didn't know how bad it was going to be, and God had to let us come here, even though He did know how bad it was going to be. That must have been painful for Him, to know that we would experience pain, when, at that time, we had no idea what pain even was.

And though I have felt alone sometimes, I know that I was never really alone. God has never abandoned me, though I have occasionally turned away from Him. Even when I was livid with Him and when I was sure He was disappointed in me, He was never farther than a prayer away. God had to send us to Earth, but He also sent, and is still sending us, all the help He can while we're here.

I forgive God for letting me come to Earth despite knowing how far I would fall and how hurt I would feel. I forgive Him for not doing more to protect me from myself, because I know He has been doing all He could. I forgive Him for letting me and all mankind suffer, because I know that this is all necessary for our eternal happiness.

I forgive God for everything He has done, or not done, that has caused me pain, and I thank God that He forgives me. I have done far more that has hurt Him than He has done to hurt me. I need far more of His forgiveness than He needs of mine. I am thankful that God and I are willing to forgive each other and continue to work together, and I'm thankful for both the peace I feel when He forgives me and the peace that I have felt for forgiving Him.