LADIES OF HIVE COMMUNITY CONTEST #64

I have a lot of things in my life I am grateful for. I am grateful for life, family, friends, knowledge but what I am most grateful for right now is having a forgiving heart.

My resolution to forgive is finally paying off. There was a time in my life I was willing and ready to let everything go. I was convinced nature had forsaken me and perhaps God. I was at my lowest ebb. I couldn't find the strength to carry on but after sulking for a while, I came to the understanding that there is more to life than killing oneself over a love gone sour.

Heartbreak is very common but having your wedding called off three weeks to the date over a silly excuse isn't. This was my story five years ago. A three years relationship got washed down the drain just because someone didn't have the balls to be honest about hid dealings.

It was all roses and letters while we were together. On the day he proposed, I felt like I wouldn't have a happier day ever. I jumped right into the wedding planning. We chose a date, visited our parents, booked the vendors and started our wedding shopping. If only I had known that this was only a fantasy.

Three weeks to the date, he called off the wedding over the silly excuse that he doesn't understand my church. Like seriously? This is the same church he's visited several times and suddenly it was a big deal, big enough to have him call off the wedding after everything was set. He didn't even consider the fact that invites had been sent out or how shattered that would leave me.

At first it sounded like a joke not until the day of the wedding arrived and the wedding never happened. Well, I couldn't tell the difference between day and night because I was locked inside for only God knows how long.

I drowned into depression. I contemplated suicide on so many occasions. I couldn't bear to answer my calls nor did I have any energy to respond to questions about what went wrong. I just wanted to die and be forgotten. Months later, I learnt someone had mothered a child for him. Turns out one of his many girlfriends he kept while we were together got pregnant for him and threatened to kill herself and the baby if he didn't call off our wedding.

Fortunately enough, I had my family and good friends who stood by me through the darkest hours. This made me strong and courageous. Although I resolved never to fall in love again. It took me two years of reading books on forgiveness to finally forgive him. I knew the only way I could love again is when the hate in my heart turns to love and that could only be achieved through genuine forgiveness. As for letting another into my heart, that took another two years.

At first I was skeptical when he proposed. I am still skeptical even now but this time it feels right. I know within me that unlike the former, this wedding would definitely happen.

I look forward to the 19th of February when I'll walk down the aisle to say "I do".

Lack of forgiveness is the reason why so many things have gone wrong in the world. The wars between countries, brother killing his own blood, lovers bathing each other with acid and the list is endless.

To forgive is certainly divine!

This is my entry into Ladies of Hive Community Contest #64 on the question "What are you most grateful for right now?"

If you would love to participate, click here

Nobody invited me to join the contest. I came across it and decided to put in an entry. However, I invite @itoroarchibong and @adore-eu to participate in this.

_{Picture uploaded from my gallery.}