Love Requires Forgiveness--A Reminder to Myself
At times, you failed your family, yourself,
and God. Your conscience wouldn't quiet down
until you said, "I'm sorry. Could you please
forgive me?" All said "yes," but still you felt
remaining guilt you couldn't rise above.
You couldn't comprehend your frame of mind,
the feeling that--no matter how you tried--
you couldn't do enough to make amends.
You prayed to find the path to happiness
and knew that only God could show the way.
Then God revealed the truth you'd failed to grasp,
that peace and joy cannot abide in hearts
of those who can’t love or forgive themselves.
You felt the ease of conscience you’d long sought
when shackles of self-loathing fell away.
You still fail God, yourself, and family,
and you will do so till you breathe your last;
but now you can love and forgive yourself,
for love enables people to forgive.
If love of self were wrong, would God have said
that we should love our neighbors as ourselves?
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