Love means forgiveness

So, I went to a funeral last month of a father who had died long after his children were grown to adulthood. Relationships with dad hadn't always been great, but things had improved quite a bit in the few years before his death. Alma 45:41--those who dies in Christ will be happy.

One of the kids was talking about growing up with Dad and said,

"There were good times and bad times. 

The good times made us laugh and the bad times made us strong."  

That stayed with me.  When you are a kid, things seem to be more black and white, good or bad.  But, as you age and mature, you are able to see all the shades in between.  You might love people that aren't always nice or good, and yet you love them despite of their faults.  That is the forever loves that lets us keep loving spouses that hurts our feelings or children that disappoint us.

"Jeremiah 31:3  The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love."

As mere humans, we don't always have that ever lasting love that God has towards us.  When enough hurt, anger, or fear pile up, we sometimes choose to stop loving someone.   I've read so much about God's never ending love for us, his constant mercy towards us, his ability to forgive and forget over and over.  I haven't developed all of those traits perfectly.

I thought putting this quote from the funeral into practice would go a long ways in helping us keep our family together with a forever love.  Instead of letting the bad times break us, we can choose to see that they made us strong.  Made us survivors.