"The difference between holding on to a hurt

or releasing it with forgiveness

is the difference between laying your head at night

on a pillow filled with thorns

or a pillow filled with rose petals".

- Loren Fischer

________________________

I do not know Loren Fischer but for him to write this he must have known the misery of dealing with un-forgiveness, how it can eat at your soul and keep you awake at night, causing your head to ache as if it was lying on a pillow of thorns.

I too have been there. I have lain awake at night with my head trying to rest on that pillow of thorns because I had chosen to hang onto a hurt or not let go of an offense. As I tossed and turned into the night, my head hurt from those thorns of bitterness and the wounds only got worse. I could not find rest, nor peace. Trying to sleep on that pillow of thorns was agony.

It was only when I realized that another had borne the pain of thorns upon His head that I was able to let mine go to take up the pillow of rose petals and peace. Jesus Christ died with a crown of thorns on His head. His last words were "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Luke 23:34

Jesus died to offer forgiveness to all of us. He took the crown of thorns so we could sleep on that pillow of rose petals. What a gift we've been given! What a choice we now have!

I, for one, have chosen to let those hurts and offenses go, I give them to Jesus and take that pillow of comfort and sleep in peace knowing I can forgive because He has made it possible to do so. I choose to forgive, even if I have been wrongly offended, because by choosing forgiveness I receive the peace and freedom that comes from letting go and giving my cares to Him who died to set me free.

You too do have a choice.....the pillow scented with the sweet fragrance of roses of forgiveness or the thorny pillow filled with the discomfort of un-forgiveness.

Which pillow will you be sleeping on tonite?

For further information read my other hub titled: What is a Grudge"