We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions…Stephen Covey

In June, my wife Melinda and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. One would think after a quarter of a century of marriage, I’d have this whole husband thing figured out. I don’t. Like all couples, we’ve had our share of disagreements and forgiveness has played a vital role in the success of our marriage. Most of our fights haven’t resulted from one of us intentionally wronging the other; our arguments usually result from one of us (usually me) making a stupid, yet good intentioned, mistake. Author Stephen Covey said, “We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions.” When the results of the other person’s actions cause us discomfort or pain, too often we only see the pain, not the intentions of the person on the other side. Forgiveness is more than just refusing to hold a grudge against an enemy. We must also do our best to understand the other person’s intentions and motivations, especially in those we love.