Nicole Lataif Abi-Kheirs

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

 

Forgiving is one of the most difficult things to do, even for the most faithful Christians. How can we teach young children to embrace and share the healing power of forgiveness? I Forgive You: Love We Can Hear, Ask For, and Give helps children choose forgiveness by encouraging them to be ready to hear, ask for, and say, “I forgive you.”

 

I Forgive You uses kid-friendly text and images to communicate the most difficult concepts of forgiveness, such as grace, anger, contrition, redemption, and reconciliation. I Forgive You brings forgiveness to life, using vivid analogies that offer concrete and clear actions for kids to take.

 

I Forgive You teaches children that:

 

• We do a lot of things right, but when we don't, God forgives us every time;

• We are called to forgive others as God fogrives us;

• Forgiveness is a process that may take time and includes consequences;

• True friendship has forgiveness;

• Holding grudges and feeding anger hurts us most;

• Choosing forgiveness brings us peace.

 

Children will also learn that forgiveness does not require that we accept abusive behavior or sustain unhealthy relationships. In these cases, children are encouraged to walk away, pray, and forgive from afar.

 

This book was created to help you introduce the importance of forgiveness at an early age, open a conversation with the children in your life about forgiveness, and encourage a merciful spirit. The children’s forgiveness prayer at the end of the book offers an example of how kids might express their feelings to God.

 

We all need to ask for and grant forgiveness. God and others forgive us, and in turn, we need to forgive others and sometimes, ourselves. The most difficult three words to say may be, “I forgive you,” yet they are the most important to maintaining good relationships and inner peace. Choosing forgiveness is one of the keys to the love, joy and peace our faith in Jesus offers us—even for young children!

 

“Wherever you go, in all that you do, make forgiveness part of you!”

 

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