 Photo by M Venter at Pexels.com A World Torn ApartLast week, myself along with the world watched in horror as the details unfolded about Charlie Kirk's murder. A 31 year old dedicated husband, father and Christian was gunned down in front of thousands as he simply shared his views in front of others. To add to the sadness, another school shooting took place where innocent lives were lost, again. Why? Why does this happen? I have so many questions, and no answers. My heart was filled with extreme sorrow as these senseless acts of violence took place with hate as the key motivation. It brought to the forefront how very present evil is in in our world today. As a nation and world we are in need of peace like never before. We are desperate for it. Peace comes in many forms. Sadly we are in short supply in all of them at present. What are we to do? I have thoughts. Let's unpack this together. Choose to Forgive Photo by Magda Ehlers at Pexels.com As much as we wish we could, we cannot control what is going on in the world right now. We can however control our reaction to it. This is where the true power is. We can draw our line in the sand. We can stand firm, decide to live in harmony, let go of grudges and choose to forgive those who have hurt us. It is not easy but so freeing. It is liberating to break free from unforgiveness and live in peace with others. It is God's plan for us and this is one of the key secrets to having true inner peace day to day. We forgive to set ourselves free. We can agree to disagree, and still walk away with our integrity intact. The choice is ours. I invite you to strive to develop respect for those who are different than you reminding yourself that all people are dearly loved by God. Love Your Neighbour Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash As Christ followers we are called in the Bible to love our neighbours - period. It doesn't say our kind and thoughtful neighbours, or neighbours we actually like, but all neighbours means all people in general. I think of the song, What the World Needs Now which speaks of "love sweet love." We sure need more love and peace today. There is no question about it. Find Your Peaceful Place Photo by Natália de Rezende on Unsplash In class we talked about finding our "peaceful place" to balance our hectic lives and find solace in the day to day stress our lives can bring. I shared my peaceful place is my backyard. I love to be silent, listen to the birds and just take the beauty of it all in. The noise of the classroom, and busy world just melts away and I feel so close to God there. Kids shared of different places they find peaceful solitude like when they are tucked in bed, while quietly reading or playing at the park. One little girl shared how try as she might, she cannot seem to find her "peaceful place." She looked ready to cry about it. I assured her that it is out there, and worth pursuing. She will find it and I am happy to assist with her search. She is not unlike many people today. So many feel lost like my sweet student. They seek peace but cannot seem to find it. They are looking in all the wrong places. So where do we find true peace, which is more than a temporary feeling or change in scenery? Make Peace With God Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash True peace comes from having a relationship with Jesus. I heard a lesson in Sunday School which simplifies it very well. No Jesus - No Peace or Know Jesus - Know Peace. That is it in a nutshell. Very straightforward indeed. My friends we don't know what the future holds but we know that with Jesus by our side we can ride the waves together. We will never be alone and that in itself brings peace. Call to Action
Until next time my friend, I am wishing you peace in the midst of the storm. Dana Tags: peace, God's peace, forgiveness, live in peace, finding peaceCopyright: © 2025 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)  AuthorDana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, blogger, author, and speaker. She is dedicated to "loving God and loving people" with all her heart. With a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement, Dana makes a positive impact wherever she goes. She resides in Ontario with her husband and their two grown children.
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 Photo by Nerene Grobler on Unsplash “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom In we came, dressed in our Sunday best, rocking it out and singing to the very best of our ability the hit song of the day, I’m Forgiven by Christian recording artists, The Imperials. Our group, a youth choir, was called The Soul Survivors and to say that we thought we were “all that” was certainly an understatement. Were we the best singers? Certainly not, but what our group lacked in talent, we sure made up for in confidence and enthusiasm! We even had a “back-up tape” which was a true novelty back then of this latest Christian hit, and we were ready to share the good news! I actually saw the Imperials twice in concert and it was truly memorable and meaningful. I have included I’m Forgiven at the end of this blog for your listening pleasure. Perhaps it will take some of you down memory lane like it did for me. So, I’m Forgiven! What a powerful song title. What a powerful concept. This week in our class Morning Meeting, we discussed the topic of forgiveness. I love these teachable moments, when I can impart some nugget of wisdom to my students on ways to improve their lives using practical tools that will empower them. As our discussion progressed, members of the class were divided on how forgiveness should and should not work. One friend thought in a mutually hurtful situation, that if you forgive someone who has hurt you, then he or she MUST forgive you too because that just wouldn’t be “fair.” As I was gearing up to respond, another very wise little friend said “Guys, you don’t GIVE forgiveness to GET forgiveness, you give forgiveness for your own PEACE. “I couldn’t have said it better myself, and had me thinking, "Are you eight years old or twenty-eight years old, because your mature response just blew me away!"  Photo by Pixabay Key Number One: Forgiving OthersPiggybacking on what he said, I shared with them an effective illustration that I have used in my addictions therapy groups I used to lead as a clinicial social worker. I called it the handcuffs illustration and it is a powerful little skit I would act out to explain what happens to you when you refuse to forgive someone. I explained with the help of a sweet volunteer that if I refused to forgive her it was like her, and I were handcuffed together 24/7. In the past, I had a pair of Dollar store handcuffs from the Halloween display to improve this illustration, but the kids seemed to get what I was trying to say regardless. I explained that she may not even know I am upset with her, yet we go everywhere together because my bitterness and refusal to forgive keeps me chained to her. The only way to separate us is to use the key called forgiveness and break that toxic bond between us. Whether that person deserves it or not, by doing that, we are liberated, and we have given ourselves the gift of freedom. The fact that forgiving someone is extremely difficult or seemingly impossible at times is certainly not lost on me. Some of us have experienced heart-breaking scenarios and severe mistreatment at the hands of others and I am in no way minimizing your pain. Forgiveness takes time and readiness and can be a very complicated process. I recall watching an episode of the Dr. Phil show where the featured guest was detailing years of terrible abuse at the hands of her parents and emphasized how she could not and would not ever forgive them. Dr. Phil then asked “So where are your parents now?" “She quickly replied “They are both deceased.” Dr. Phil, then said something I will never forget. He said “So they are both gone, and you are STILL refusing to forgive them? Truth be told, you are not hurting them; you are only hurting YOURSELF 100%. You gave them your past. How much more of your present life are you going to allow them to have?” Wow! It was like an "Ah-ha" moment for her, yet she still said amongst her tears, “But Dr. Phil, You don't understand! They don’t deserve my forgiveness!” Dr. Phil replied “You are right. They don’t. I agree, but YOU need to do this to move forward.” So true. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV : Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.)  Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash Key Number Two: Forgiving YourselfSometimes the one we need to forgive is ourselves. We can be so hard on ourselves when we make a mistake. We can truly be our worst enemy. I remember a client sharing with me that if I really knew all she had done, there would be no way I would even spend another minute with her. She was in her words “despicable, unforgiveable, and beyond hope.” She even said "I know that God could forgive you, but He could never forgive me. I am too far gone.” Her self description broke my heart. There is NOONE who is despicable, unforgiveable and beyond hope, but she couldn't see it. As I probed a bit further and encouraged her to tell her story, her tears freely flowed as she shared about years of abuse, addiction and a criminal past. She kept looking at the door, expecting me to open it and send her off, but instead I stayed glued to her every word. She was literally stunned! I shared that there is nothing that she could do that is unforgiveable in God’s eyes. He offers His forgiveness to all. It was a lot for her to process, and things took time, but a beautiful journey of self-forgiveness and eventually God’s forgiveness was set in motion that day. Key Number Three: Experiencing God's Forgiveness Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash My Grampa Sudds (my Mom's dad), used to say there are only two kinds of people in this world: sinners and sinners saved by grace. I couldn’t agree more. In the beginning we are the same. We are all born in sin, and we are ALL sinners. We all also have free will. The only thing that truly sets us apart from one another in the end, is that some of us have accepted God’s free gift of salvation which gives us complete forgiveness. Due to this, we are now enjoying a life free of guilt and shame and we can live free from condemnation every day. It is not about being a good person, trying to do enough good things on earth while we are here, or memorizing Bible verses that will get you on the receiving end of God’s grace. It is instead simply by asking for forgiveness and having a desire to make Him the Lord of your life. The Bible says that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, not when we had tried to clean ourselves up, or committed enough good deeds. His love for us is unconditional. He welcomes us as-is, and that is such a refreshing concept to embrace. (Romans 5: 8-9) Accepting and giving forgiveness can be easy or extremely difficult and complicated for us, depending on the unique circumstances of each scenario. I understand that. I trust that this blog has at least given you something to think about. I know it has given me reminders for sure about this important topic of forgiveness. As always, I welcome an opportunity to continue this conversation with you if you are interested in learning more about embracing forgiveness in your life. I can be reached at [email protected]. Until next time, Dana 1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Little Lesson Learned: Refusing to forgive ourselves, others or accept God's forgiveness keeps us in chains. You deserve and need your freedom. Please remember that. To learn more about God's forgiveness and what He thinks about you click here. Tags: spirtual guidance, God's forgiveness, 3 keys to the freedom of forgiveness, Christian blog, Christian blogger, life advice, walking in freedom, forgive yourself, forgive others
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana
(Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. |
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