Score: Reflection on Forgiveness.

Item from my Forgiveness Journal: "Score"



            Forgiveness for me means scoring which precludes winning and losing. That means first of all that there need to be rules that govern how one can experience forgiveness in all its fullness. Once one has the rules and persons can know God is fair, it's anybody's guess who will know the experience of being affirmed and accepted. Scoring for me means you do the one thing that creates an opportunity for someone to be a winner. 



            Being a contest of wills that means that forgiveness as a rule does not happen for every person/team. When we get to that juncture of the experience one could easily blame a referee of Umpire for whatever misfortunes take place. The good news is in the larger arena are endless opportunities to redeem ourselves. In a sense redeeming ourselves is like redeeming a coupon. The game ticks down to its final seconds, You Finally See It!! YOU are the person who is the winner. God's work of salvation in the person of Jesus is the ticket to a winning score. YOU realize that you are worth something to God and others and anticipate the parade and celebration after that contest is over.



             At the most basic level we desire for everyone to have an opportunity to win!!! That means there needs to be a level playing field-discrimination is discouraged. Even the person who consider themselves the least of these have a chance at victory.  Person are accepted as they are which I see to be the essence of forgiveness and are faced with expectation to do all that one can to reach full potential. Forgiveness in the scoring vernacular is all about knowing love and healing that one never knew was possible-therefore we become part of a team that aids us in getting to the finish line of experiencing for ourselves God's warm embrace.



             How does one get to this place of knowing that God can work through all persons scoring victories each and every day? It is not by one's own effort. There are others who take Time to raise you up, just when you thought it would be better to give up. In the end forgiveness means I am enjoying the fruit of learning to love and receive love.