Here's what I have discovered. Most of us are out of practice doing the things that matter - like forgiveness. we go along in our lives and we either ignore, resent, walk away from, put up with relationships that have become strained but we never really consider what it means to be fully in relationship. Being in full relationship means dealing with the good and the bad, the hurt and the joy, BUT, here's the important part - we have to start small and move up. If you asked me to run a marathon today I couldn't - but of you asked me to jog around the block, I likely could. If I run around the block today and two blocks next week maybe one day I could run that marathon. In my experience, the reason life goes off the rails is not because of what actually happened but because we had had little experience dealing with the little things so that when a big thing hits we are unprepared.
The moral of that story, deal with the little things to prepare for the big things - because in life the big things will come (not "if", "when!") Forgive the little things so that when the big one comes, you will know how and be ready.
You may have noticed that our conversation has shifted from things to people. The original theft was done by strangers - meaning that we'll know who they are and that they've been caught but will never likely be in relationship. that makes it easier and harder. Easier because we don't have to deal with the face to face, harder because it makes it both senseless and random. I'm not suggesting that there is an easy answer but, let me offer a thought or two. A number of years ago a church I was serving was vandalized - badly - 125 year old stained glass windows smashed, interior violated etc. etc. The perpetrator was a stranger and we never met or saw her. At the same time we had to struggle with forgiving her because to not do so would have meant that we were giving up something of who we were and not to do that would have been even more damaging. A big part of that process was realizing that we were not our building - we (the church) were more than that and even if she had burned the church to the ground, we would still be the church.
Sometimes, (often) not forgiving or letting go ends up costing us more than the actual loss, and, while I don't want to be cliche or minimize the loss, at the end of the day it is stuff - it's not a child, it's not a marriage, it's not a family. We are more than our stuff. I have to pause here and say that I wrestle with this constantly, and I have resentment issues and I am very attached to my stuff - but there are people and relationships in my life that I would give my stuff in a heartbeat to have back. Remembering that helps me keep it in some kind of perspective.
The reality is that none of the stuff that matters is easy. Small challenge small reward, big challenge, big reward. It involves risk, it involves struggle but at the end of the day it is worth it.
cheers!
Hi Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
