A new young couple to our ward spoke yesterday at church. He’s
24 and she’s 23, and they have a little 9 month old baby boy.
Her topic given to speak on was: "how to forgive especially when
the person does not apologize."
She lifted up one arm and showed how she was born with no
fingers on her right hand. She said from the minute she started
school until the minute she finished, she was made fun of about it,
and bullied.
She would often come home from school and cry to her Mom, and
tell her she was angry at God for making her this way.
When she would cry and pray about it almost immediately she
would get the strong impression that she was chosen by Heavenly
Father to carry this burden.
She said her trial has proven over the years to be a huge
blessing to her.
She learned that she needed to forgive those who made fun of her.
She would just tell herself that what they did was between them
and God, and her job was to forgive. She learned how to do this
well through the years.
Next her husband got up to give his talk and before he did, he said
that his wife is the sweetest person with the biggest heart. He said
when she is in a room she is forever looking around to make sure
everyone there is comfortable and happy. She has a gift for making
others feel good.
Of course I could not help but think that this gift of loving others as
she does, came from her own pain and struggles.
I also believe her happiness now is her added bonus for learning to
forgive others, even when some of those others did not care about
her.
And her parents, can you imagine what they went through too...we
suffer right along with our kids.
PS Sometimes life is crazy in sync, because just after I pressed
publish, a friend sent me this... saying it's her motto for getting
through the holidays...
I think it also goes perfect with the story above.