Perhaps you’ve seen the little chart that shows how you can save money through the year by putting aside the dollar amount that correlates to the week number. If you follow the chart, by the end of the year, you could have saved a total of $1,378.00.

It’s pretty amazing that you can put just a little away each week and have something that substantial at the end of the year.

Here’s the problem I face. I get paid once a month. So I have to refigure the amount to add each month. And while right now when there are smaller amounts of money going into the “pot,” at some point, I’m going to have to start contributing larger amounts of money to make up the savings total.

So I wondered if there might be a better solution for me.

I divided $1,378.00 by 52 weeks to come up with $26.50. That’s what I would need to put into my “pot” each week to save the same amount. But it still didn’t help. I don’t get paid every week.

So I divided $1,378.00 by 12 months to come up with $114.80. That’s what I need to put into my savings “pot” each month in order to save the total amount. It actually seems doable this way instead of by the chart. Toward the end of the year the amount going into the “pot” is over$200 a month. My method seems to be a much better way to accomplish this savings plan.

However, my issue now is that I’m coming up on February and I only have $16 saved. I’m $98 short. So I’m already behind.

This week in one of my Bible studies, we’ve been studying about unforgiveness. What I’ve come to learn this week is that when we chose to be unforgiving, we cause a great deal of pain for ourselves and for others. We come up short. We find ourselves behind. And we hurt those around us.

In the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18, Jesus clearly tells us that we are to show mercy to those who ask. We are to forgive others as our Father has forgiven us. And we also see in this parable that we are to be looking out for our brothers and sisters when injustices are done to them.

Sometimes I come up short on the forgiving part. It’s easy to hold a grudge. It’s easy to just ignore the issue. It’s easy to simply ignore the person. But God’s ways are so different. If we aren’t careful, we will fall into the prison of unforgiveness and there we will be bound by that unforgiveness.

This has been a good week of lessons for me. I’m thankful that God doesn’t turn His back on me when I fail Him. I’m thankful that God seeks me when I need to ask for His forgiveness. I’m thankful that God forgives me and remembers my sin no more. And that is exactly how He expects me to treat others.

Matthew 18:35 (NIV) says it this way. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Genuine, heart-felt forgiveness. That’s what God expects from those who claim to love Him. When we truly love God, we are able to forgive as He forgives.

I’m not too far into the year that I can’t take care of my savings plan deficit. The same can be said of forgiveness. With God’s help, we are able to be pretty remarkable people.

I pray that you won’t allow unforgiveness to rule your heart. Offer your heart to God and let Him do the work for you. Soon you’ll understand the meaning of forgiveness and will able to pass it out like candy. And to be honest, there is nothing like a forgiving heart.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna