bible and candle

Meta-Musing

The Truth about
 
 "Forgive & Forget"
 
Did you ever forgive, while finding yourself unable to forget?
 Could be you're just causing yourself more grief! Want to know more? Read on!

PROVERBS:17
 
He who forgives an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter alienates a friend.
 

UNITY WISDOM

It is through forgiveness that true spiritual healing is accomplished. Forgiveness removes the errors of the mind, and bodily harmony results in consonance with divine law.
 
 

CONTEMPORARY WISDOM
 
 
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and discover that the prisoner was you."
Louis Smedes
Blessings to you!

My thought today deals with our daily, personal forgiveness issues. The deep, tragic, personal, interpersonal, and international hurts of crime, war, loss, etc. are healed by the same principles, but typically require much more time, energy, prayer, therapy, counseling and understanding. But the longest journey begins with the first steps, and the first steps are learning to forgive and forget for ourselves. Then we can live and share the principles, and move on to the next level of healing.

"To err is human, to forgive is divine." (Sigh!) Forgiveness is something I battled with most of my life. Not because I am a cold-hearted, bitter, uncaring person, but because I always want "justice." I want to see the "bad guy" get his just desserts. Okay...to be perfectly clear...and honest...it was not just the forgiving that was difficult, but the forgetting. After all...if we forget, don't we set ourselves up to be "victimized" again? Yes, and No.
 
The Law of Mind Action states the thoughts we hold in mind multiply. "Where the mind goes, energy flows, and manifestation follows." But there is more. It is the thoughts plus the accompanying feelings that bring the manifestation, through the creative process. Thoughts + Feelings of anger and resentment = more of the same experience. So...yes, we do set ourselves up to be victimized again and again, but we do it to ourselves!

Failure to forgive; holding victim thoughts in our minds, and resentful feelings in our hearts also binds the one who "inflicted" the intentional or unintentional; real or perceived offense upon us, in the role of "victim-izer," and ourselves in the role of victim. Healing cannot occur in this state of consciousness.

We have a choice...we can resent, or we can repent. To resent is to re (again) sentir (feel), to experience the thoughts and feelings of the original event. To repent is to re (again) think (pensare). To resent is to open ourselves for continuing problems, to repent is to think again, to ponder and learn from the experience, to find understanding. Once we learn the lesson; once we find the cause, we can change that, and therefore change the effect.

A great benefit in rethinking; in looking deeper, is that when you "get it;" when you see clearly, the negative emotions are neutralized. You will have broken the chain of negative thought, negative feeling, negative experience.

It took two divorces and a number of bad relationships for me to realize that I was making wrong choices in my desperation to be in a relationship. I would agonize at my inability to find a true partner.

Next, I had to learn that I could live a good and happy life, even if I were on my own. I had been looking for a relationship to make me whole and give my life meaning. So, the choices I was making, and the resulting pain and suffering, were affirmations of my own errors.

Once I realized that I had the power to create a meaningful life and make different choices the pain, and desperation to have a relationship dissipated. Anger and resentment at those who "did me wrong" disappeared. Yes...I would still like to have a life partner... but I am willing to wait for Mr. Right, not Mr. Will Do. And if it takes more than one lifetime...so be it.

Are you holding on to any old resentments that you can't seem to forgive and forget? Consider looking to "cause," even if you find it is your own self. Learning to forgive and forget will set you free!

May your day be blessed, RevAli







 
 
Sincerely,
 
Alicia Leslie
Spirit of Unity Church