Whose Shoes?

"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he'll be a mile away - and barefoot. -Mark Twain

Haha, that's definitely (notice the correct spelling of the preceding word) not scriptural, but it is funny. And for that reason, I stuck it in our sharing time presentation yesterday. Our little class was assigned forgiving as our topic. I tell you, it's a subject I have to revisit almost daily. When the Shanester left today for a short camping trip without saying goodbye, I put our advice from yesterday into practice to good effect. We'd discussed and demonstrated through several scenarios matched up with a variety of footwear, the concept of walking a mile in someone else's shoes in order to be able to have a forgiving heart. So I put myself in Shane's hiking shoes, and then realized he doesn't have the perspective of a parent, and wasn't intentionally trying to cause me extra worry, and, presto, I was able to forgive him. I'd pondered D&C 64:9-10 in preparation for the presentation, and I'm happy to say that I learned a few things.

"Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men."

Definitely (there's that correctly spelled word again) worth pondering. Is the Lord holding us to a higher standard than Himself by requiring we forgive everyone, while he chooses whom He'll forgive? Looks a bit like that at first blush. On second glance though, it makes perfect sense. His grasp of the entire situation is clear and faultless. We, on the other hand, are not nearly so knowledgeable. When we apologize or repent of a sin or error, we expect full forgiveness from the Lord and others, but if we are not willing to be as merciful and generous as He is, we are setting ourselves up to know better than He does what is best. We could actually end up attempting to claim the blessings of His great atonement for ourselves, while denying them for those we refuse to forgive, a major affront, or worse, to the Savior. So come on, boys and girls, let's play nice, and stay nice!

Here's another point to ponder: What does forgiving really mean? I'll tackle that question later, but I'd dearly love to read anyone's thoughts who's willing to opine. I probably won't do that until we're back from Denver though. Happy Fourth of July, everyone! BTW, here's a festive drink for the Fourth. Dig out those old-fashioned items called ice cube trays, and freeze a couple of them filled with red and blue Powerade. Drop several cubes of each color into a clear glass, and pour 7Up or Sprite over them. Voila, you'll be sipping a fun and fizzy Frosty Fireworks drink for the Fourth of July!