The Power of Forgiveness
"In a marriage relationship, festering is
destructive; forgiving is divine."
Above is an inspired quote from a talk titled Divorce given by Dallin H. Oaks in 2007. Growing up, my mom used to tell me this little parable:
There once was a small village. An old man lived at the edge of town, way out by the dusty road. One day, he was out sweeping his porch when a young man with a pack on his back came into town.
"Hello old man," the young chap began. "I'm looking to settle down. What are the people like here?"
The old man stopped a minute and thought about the young man's question. "Well," he thought "what were the people like where you came from?"
"Oh they were a lousy lot! All of them selfish and arrogant, only wanting to know you for what you could give them."
The old man nodded and said to the young man, "Son, I'm afraid to tell you that you'll find the people here to be just the same." The young man thanked him for his time and continued onward. A few hours later, the same old man was out on the porch swing smoking his pipe when another young man with a pack on back came into town.
"Hello old man," the young chap began. "I'm looking to settle down. What are the people like here?"
The old man stopped a minute and thought about the young man's question. "Well," he thought "what were the people like where you came from?"
"Oh they were wonderful! All of them thoughtful and kind, I was sad to leave them."
The old man smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said to the young man, "Son, I'm glad to tell you that you'll find the people here to be just the same."
I've always loved this little story. It has taught me that when we look for the bad in people, we'll find it. If we look for the good in people, we'll find that too. This is so important to keep in mind in our marriage relationships. We will always find something wrong with our spouse's character. It's vital that we don't fester on these imperfections. We have to move on and choose to notice the good in them. When we choose to forgive rather than to fester, our love will only grow stronger.
There once was a small village. An old man lived at the edge of town, way out by the dusty road. One day, he was out sweeping his porch when a young man with a pack on his back came into town.
"Hello old man," the young chap began. "I'm looking to settle down. What are the people like here?"
The old man stopped a minute and thought about the young man's question. "Well," he thought "what were the people like where you came from?"
"Oh they were a lousy lot! All of them selfish and arrogant, only wanting to know you for what you could give them."
The old man nodded and said to the young man, "Son, I'm afraid to tell you that you'll find the people here to be just the same." The young man thanked him for his time and continued onward. A few hours later, the same old man was out on the porch swing smoking his pipe when another young man with a pack on back came into town.
"Hello old man," the young chap began. "I'm looking to settle down. What are the people like here?"
The old man stopped a minute and thought about the young man's question. "Well," he thought "what were the people like where you came from?"
"Oh they were wonderful! All of them thoughtful and kind, I was sad to leave them."
The old man smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said to the young man, "Son, I'm glad to tell you that you'll find the people here to be just the same."
I've always loved this little story. It has taught me that when we look for the bad in people, we'll find it. If we look for the good in people, we'll find that too. This is so important to keep in mind in our marriage relationships. We will always find something wrong with our spouse's character. It's vital that we don't fester on these imperfections. We have to move on and choose to notice the good in them. When we choose to forgive rather than to fester, our love will only grow stronger.
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