The Elements of Trust & Forgiveness

"If you break my trust, that's it. I will never be able to trust you again."

I heard someone say that last week. And I found it to be very harsh. I can relate to the guy who said it... I take honesty and trust very seriously and if you break my trust it hurts like heck, and it might take a while for you to earn it back. But I don't say never. To never trust someone again... that's basically making them non-existent to you. To have any sort of relationship with anybody, whether it's family or friends or the mailman or the eye doctor, there has to be an element of trust.

I wonder if people who refuse to trust anyone are happy? It would seem to me that they would live in a lot of fear. Fear of what people might do to them. The times when I've had trouble trusting those around me are the times I'm the most irrational, most fearful, and most ridiculous.

And really, I'd like to say I'm good at trusting people... but I know I could be better. That goes back to what I was saying about how I do take it very seriously and it cuts me very deeply if you betray my trust. But I think I need to work on that.

That's where forgiveness comes in. There is no element of forgiveness in the statement this guy said. And that's just wrong.

Forgiveness really is what makes the world go 'round...