Craft for forgiveness 
(Click on red title to download craft template - Pdf)

Forgiving others is always hard to do when you still feel hurt. It takes courage and not just a warm, fuzzy feeling to decide to forgive someone. In fact, forgiving someone shows strength of character, not weakness.

By forgiving someone, you are not saying that what the other person did is okay, but rather that you have decided not to hold it against him/her. It may seem unfair to just let someone off without making them 'pay' for what they did. That is why it takes a special kind of love, like God’s love, to forgive.

• Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a decision—a choice you have to make.
• God can help you forgive others. Ask Him to fill your heart with His love.
• Go to the person you need to forgive and tell him/her what made you feel sad or hurt, then say to the person that you have forgiven him/her.
• Forgiving someone may not take the hurt away immediately. It also won’t take away the memory of what happened. You may still feel sad or hurt for a while.

When it’s hard to forgive

• Write on a piece of paper what happened and how that made you feel. To show that you won’t keep a record of the wrong, you could do one of the following things with the paper:
  • tear it up (or let your pet rip it to shreds);
  • soak it in water for a few minutes and then squeeze it into a tiny ball. Practice throwing the ball into a waste paper bin from a distance;
  • bury it in the garden (in a secret place);
  • think of some other unusual way to destroy it.

• Ask God to help you get over the feelings of hurt.
• Remember that forgiving is something you must do. The other person doesn’t need to do anything in return or owe you any favours. (The other person might not even be sorry!).
• Any act of kindness done for the person who has been unkind will show your love in action and will help you get over your hurt more easily.

What if someone keeps hurting me?

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you should let the person keep on hurting you. When that happens, speak to a parent or teacher about the problem.

What if I don’t forgive?

• Your feelings for others will become unfriendly as your heart is hardened by angry, unforgiving thoughts.
• You will probably start to feel miserable and become crabby. However, when you set someone free by forgiving them you also set yourself free to enjoy life!
• You cannot expect God to forgive you if you don’t forgive others. Jesus taught the disciples to pray to God in this way: “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” Luke 11:4.

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" Romans 12:18.