From Bitter Roots to the Bloom of Forgiveness…
It’s 2025! Every greeting these days, “Hi! Happy New Year!” It’s like a chorus that brings with it the excitement of new beginnings. There’s something refreshing about the idea of starting over, right? Like pressing the reset button on life. And just like everyone else, I have my list of New Year’s resolutions to write down. But before I do, I take a moment to flip back through the pages of my 2024 —a sort of “Wrapped” but handwritten.
As I scan through the good, beautiful, joyful days and the not-so-good days of last year, I find myself lingering on the latter. I shake my head vigorously and sigh, “Weeh, mambo yalikuwa mengi.” The challenges of the past year come rushing back, and with them, the grudges, bitterness, and resentment that I unknowingly carried. Unforgiveness—to sum it up.
Then I stumbled upon a sentence in a book I had been reading:
“Bitterness is like a root that sinks deep into the soil of our heart and spirit. When watered with resentment and anger, it springs up and causes trouble, defiling many around it.”
This reminded me of Hebrews 12:15, which warns us to guard against allowing a root of bitterness to grow, as it can poison not just us but others too.
But then I thought about God. He forgives me. He forgives us all. John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
If God could forgive me—broken, flawed, and imperfect—then who am I to hold on to grudges? The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32) paints a beautiful picture of forgiveness. Even after the son wasted everything and strayed so far from home, his father ran to embrace him when he returned. That’s how God is with us—ready to welcome us back with open arms.
So, why should I let unforgiveness stand in the way of my relationship with Him? Sin separates us from God, and bitterness creates a wall between Him and our hearts. For the sake of the beautiful fellowship I long to have with Him, I am choosing to forgive.
Forgiveness isn’t easy. The anger, the pain, the hurt—they can feel overwhelming. But God invites us to surrender it all to Him in prayer. As we do, He brings healing, restoration, and peace to our hearts. Matthew 11:28 reminds us of His invitation:Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
So, as you write your New Year’s resolutions—or even if you’ve already finished—let me encourage you to include forgiveness in the list. But don’t just write it down; make space for it in your heart. Pray about it. Let the flower of forgiveness bloom where bitterness once grew.
This year, I’m choosing to forgive and let go. It’s not just for the sake of others but for my own freedom and joy. So, if there’s someone or something you need to forgive, as the saying goes, “Forgive hiyo kitu ikutoke.”
Let Go and let God 🙂
~Anonymous🍃