And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise (Luke 6:31).
The forgiveness of others is the vestibule of Heaven. You have to get rid of all resentment and condemnation of others, and, not least, of self-condemnation and remorse. You have to forgive yourself, but you cannot forgive yourself sincerely until you have forgiven others first.
Of course, nothing in all the world is easier than to forgive people who have not hurt us very much. But what the Law of Being requires of us is that we forgive the very things that are so hard to forgive that at first it seems impossible to do it at all. But the Lord’s Prayer makes our own escape from guilt and limitation dependent upon just this very thing.
If your prayers are not being answered, search your consciousness and see if there is not some old circumstance about which you are still resentful. Search and see if you are not really holding a grudge against some individual, or some group. If so, then you have an act of forgiveness to perform, and when this is done, you will probably make your demonstration. If you cannot forgive at present, you will have to wait for your demonstration until you can, and you will have to postpone finishing your recital of the Lord’s Prayer too.
This truth challenges us perhaps more than any in our faith. Our culture, self-centeredness and pride stand as constant obstacles to forgiveness of others. Our guilt, lack of self respect and self-recrimination join to cripple our ability to forgive ourselves. Yet the truth remains that we must forgive ourselves and others if we are to live fully in communion with God. Our live on earth and throughout eternity depend upon it.
So, let us commit to forgiveness, and live in the peace, joy and gladness that God offers us each day.
Forgiving daily,
Z gardener
Good Morning Garden 
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