There was an old pair of running shoes I used to wear. They were perfect. They looked gross, but I didn’t care. They felt great and they molded to my feet like a leather glove to my hand.

Bitterness and unforgiveness is a little like that old pair of running shoes. It’s not at all hard to get used to it. In fact, it can even be comfortable.

I remember the time when I was first told that I needed to forgive my alcoholic father for all that he had done. My first thought was "That's outrageous! He doesn’t deserve it,” not today or tomorrow or even a million years from now.

The next shocking piece of news I received was the idea that there is freedom in forgiveness. What in the world does that mean?

It is not like you lose the memory of whatever happened, but the power of that memory loses its intensity.

When I was a kid, I loved firecrackers. I loved lighting them and seeing them explode. The bigger the better. There are some simple things you can do that can greatly wreck the whole blowing up part, like soaking it in water, drying it out and then lighting it. It doesn’t work. It is still a firecracker. It smoked, but it lost its bang.

Forgiveness, when done from the heart, it sort of like that soaked firecracker. In the Bible, Jesus tells His followers to forgive their enemies. If you have said the Lord’s prayer you will remember, it says, “Forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

It sounds like crazy advice. Yet, when I forgave my dad, the angry and painful memories lost their grip on my heart. Anger started to melt away. I had to forgive him for all kinds of stuff over the years as I remembered more not so great things. You have to start somewhere though. I started with what was the most clear to me.

Not all this happens quickly. It’s slow, but sure. I asked Jesus to help me with this stuff.

Maybe there is someone you need to forgive. You can ask Him too. He will give you courage and peace. He is like that.

Check this forgiveness stuff out. See what you think.