DOAN LEH NUHBODY FOOL YOU, it is very easy tuh tell somebody dat they must forgive another person who has done dem something real bad. But let me tell you something: forgiving is hard. It is the hardest thing tuh do.
Look! You know one o’ the type o’ persons who is the hardest tuh forgive?
Well, it’s the body who you went outta ya way tuh help. The body who you neglect ya own self tuh help. It is dat body who you thought would show some kinda appreciation fuh getting you outta a difficult situation.
It is dat body who you know purposely hurt you; dem know it, but duh nevah once say sorry and the worst people tuh try tuh forgive is ya own family.
I does read the I Confess column evah single Saturday and most o’ the time when it is the men writing the confession and talking ’bout any bad experiences they would’ve had wid a woman, more often than not, the man does be real real bitter and not only blame the woman who would’ve apparently hurt he, but he does lump every other woman in the same barrel.
He doan intend tuh forgive none.
The truth, is though, dat forgiveness is a beautiful thing if you allow ya’self tuh do it. It ain’t something dat could or does happen overnight. It ain’t an event; it is a process.
Forgiveness is the best thing anybody could do fuh demselves. It ain’t ’bout, nor for, the body who do the wrong, ya know. It is fuh the body who the wrong get do tuh.
But all the talk, it still ain’t easy tuh do. Ya gotta make up in ya mind dat ya gine forgive dat body. And evahtime it come back tuh ya, evah time it come up in ya throat like vomit, evah time it stan’ up in front o’ ya or even got the gall tuh call ya pon the phone or talk tuh ya in person, all ya does want tuh do is blister duh tail in cuss. Tell dem tuh go tuh hell. Tell dem tuh drop dead. Tell dem dat you wish duh would walk under a bus or dat somebody gine do tuh dem the same thing dat duh do tuh you.
Uh-uh! No! No! No! When dem feelings start tuh come up and ya want tuh lash out, ya does have tuh say: ‘Lord, teach me how tuh forgive dem’.
Ya see, because dem cause you pain, it ain’t fuh you tuh be the judge nor the jury. Look, you might not want tuh hear this right, but God done see and know all things.
I used tuh hear my mother saying all the time: “Vengeance is mine and I will repay thee, saith the Lord.” I used tuh think dat she was too much of a saint and too soft wid some people who used tuh want tuh unfair we, but today I have lived tuh see the outcome and results of her forgiveness.
Listen, duh got a lot o’ people who have done some serious wrong things tuh people and ya does see dem going along looking good, living large and looking like duh prospering, like nutten doan bother dem and ya does wonder if God, who we hear sees and knows all thing, take a li’l nod and missed this one. But ya see, it ain’t fuh neither me nor you tuh expect dem tuh pay fuh duh wrongdoings in the time dat suit we; it is when God ready fuh dem.
The other thing is this: God cahn deal wid dem if you still walking ’bout wid dem still stick up in you craw all the time and evah time you see the body, you cutting up you eyes real nasty, dropping remarks, telling the world and he brother wha’ the body do tuh you and yet still saying dat you leff-ing dem in the Master hands. Ya have tuh let it go fuh the same Master tuh tek it up.
I know I preach a li’l bit today but I had tuh get this offa my chest. Ya see, duh got too many people walking ’bout nowadays wid all kinds o’ stress, anger and bitterness because duh got people holding in duh minds, refusing tuh forgive dem and thinking dat duh doing the body something, not realising dat duh doing the damage tuh demselves.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
