Have y’all ever been to church and left feeling like the pastor wrote his sermon just for you? Have you ever been sitting in church, listening to the pastor preach, and feel like he’s looking straight into your eyes and speaking to your soul?

I have.

The other day, I went to church and I felt the Lord speaking directly to me. The pastor said two quotes that I have yet to stop thinking about. It’s crazy to think that two simple sentences can hit me so incredibly deeply. I just wish I was able to remember who originally said them so I could give credit where credit is {clearly} due.

“I do not have to see eye to eye with my brother to walk side by side with him.”

This hit me like a train. As soon as those words left the pastor’s lips, my heart came to a halt. I began to think about how true that quote is. No two people are exactly alike and no two people will ever agree on every single thing that’s brought up between the two of them. You can be best friends with someone, yet have two completely different perspectives on life, and still find a way to remain close. You can marry someone without being on the same page in all aspects of life because coming across someone that you do agree with on everything is impossible to find.

I’ve learned that it’s possible to not see eye to eye with someone on important topics, such as values and beliefs, and still find a way to walk through life with them. Embrace each other’s differences and find joy in searching through opposing viewpoints. See people for who they are, and walk next to them while enjoying this crazy journey called life.

“Forgiveness is surrendering your right to hurt someone for hurting you.”

Wow. What a beautiful, breathtaking way to describe one of the most selfless acts someone can portray. Forgiveness is hard and isn’t easily done, which is why it isn’t a trait that very many people obtain. Holding onto grudges and hatred are both easy ways to live a sad, unhappy life. Negative vibes do nothing but hold you back from what you could be and from the life you could live. When choosing negativity, you’re surrendering your right to be fully and unapologetically happy. I don’t care what someone has done to you, always choose forgiveness. Forgiving someone does more for you than it does for the adverse party.

Choosing forgiveness does not mean you are forgetting what someone has done to you, nor does it mean that you are okay with the choices that hurt you that were made by someone else. When you choose forgiveness, you’re allowing yourself to not be negatively impacted by someone else. You’re choosing your peaceful state of mind over letting someone else’s actions hover over you like a dark cloud on a sunny day. Don’t carry around the burden of someone else’s choices.

Choose forgiveness, even when someone did the unimaginable to you. Choose forgiveness, even during the times when you never received an apology. Choose forgiveness for yourself. Choose to be the bigger, better person. Choose to not sink down to the level of those who want nothing more than to see you fall. Think about how much you hurt when someone does the unthinkable to you, and then come to terms with the fact that you never want to be the cause of that same pain to anyone else, even if they deserve it.

Let karma do its thing. Don’t allow yourself to be someone who hurts others, so please, always choose to surrender your right to hurt someone for hurting you. Choose to let things go. Be better, not bitter.