Forgiveness

Is it possible that forgiveness is also part of our born human nature?  Sure it's in our nature to sin...to do bad things...to throw tantrums and get angry.  But is forgiveness also a part of our human nature?  My girls just showed me that this might just be true.

Savannah had been a pure angel today.  An absolute angel.  Madeline has been fussy all day and Savannah would just walk up to her and give her a cracker or try to do something to soothe her.  She's been very sweet.  Well, just when they both seemed to be settled down and doing well, the tides turned.  Savannah out of the blue, marched right up to Madeline who was seemingly oblivious, doing absolutely nothing wrong, and scratched her face.  Just reached her hand right up and clawed her face.  Madeline immediately put her little hand up to her cheek and just looked shocked.  Didn't cry...just looked shocked!  I immediately took Savannah to time out, sat her in her chair, and walked away for 1 minute.  When time out was over, I had her go to Madeline and tell her that she was sorry (which just means give her a kiss).  Instead of reaching in to kiss her, she clawed her again!  And again!  My poor little Madeline's face has 3 scratch marks down it!  I took Savannah, bypassed the time out chair, and instead sat her in her crib, told her she was in major time out, and shut the door. She screamed for the full 1 minute.  Not a happy little camper.  When 1 minute was up, I went back into her room, opened the door, and told a tearful Savannah that what she had done was very, very wrong and that she needed to tell her sissy she was very sorry.

I sat her down from the crib, and Madeline just beamed from ear to ear, walked right up to Savannah, reached out her tiny little hands and arms and wrapped them around Savannah's shoulders.  She stood right there and just kept hugging Savannah, over and over, and saying "Awww. Awww." and smiling from ear to ear.  Savannah smiled too.  Finally Savannah hugged back.  They stood in the doorway of their room for the longest time just hugging each other and giving each other kisses.  That was it!  Nothing more! No more anger, no more screaming, no more scratching - they were over it.

I literally felt my heart melt.  Madeline wasn't going to hold a grudge.  Madeline wasn't going to go to the corner and pout for 30 minutes because she had been hurt by her sister.  Madeline wanted her sissy to know that she still loved her, and she was sorry too that this had happened!

How sweet is the love of a child.  How innocent, how pure.  How blessed am I to have been fortunate enough to witness such an inspiring, thought provoking moment.  How is my love?  How is my forgiveness?  I sure can learn a lot from a couple of precious little 21 month olds.