Monday, March 7, 2011

Unforgiveable and forgiveness

While the oldest was in a fly tying class tonight, I had the chance to write.
My character is in a train boxcar with a Vietnam Veteran (Hobo) she asks him if he has ever done anything unforgiveable, but still been forgiven. She is thinking about herself.
He tells her a story of a young private that somehow, while trying to strap some grenades to his belt,  fumbles it and knocks the pin out of it while in the middle of camp. He panics and throws it. The grenade bounces off the tent in front of him and rolls over to a table where his captain is writing a letter home. Through reliving the scene before his eyes, he tells how the captain forgave the private, told him 'thank you' for sending him home and that Jesus forgives him too. The captain then reaches upward as if someone unseen is bending down to pick him up and dies.
My character asks if the private ever forgave himself for what he had done. "No, not until tonight. I think it is time to stop running away from forgiveness."

Have you forgiven yourself for things you have done? Or are you still running away from forgiveness?