Click here to listen to today’s Daily Power Prayer for Forgiveness!:
Many times in the day I am offered a choice between forgiveness and holding onto resentment through taking offense. I’ve seen this as the choice between violence and nonviolence. It used to be that forgiveness, the nonviolent choice, seemed unthinkable, too hard for me to contemplate. Only a wimp would let someone cut them off in traffic and not blow their horn. How will those people learn if I let them get away with it? If the service in a restaurant is bad and I don’t make a big fuss, how will they ever be motivated to change? If I forgive my brother for what he said and did to me then I’m not protecting myself. If I sit down and eat a big bag of chips then the way to prevent it from happening again is to berate myself until I feel sick and ashamed. As a child I was punished if I did something wrong, that way I’d remember the hurt and not do it again.
There are so many ways that I’ve been taught to perpetuate the violence through unforgiveness. Yet there is always the choice to love. At first it seemed harder, but now I can honestly say it is so much easier to forgive and go on. Instead of blowing my horn in traffic, I breathe deeply and enjoy the peace. Instead of making a fuss in a restaurant I put the waitress at ease with a joke and we both can have a laugh. Now, I really don’t want to eat a whole bag of chips anymore. I love myself and that much salt just isn’t good for me.
Every day I’m retraining myself to choose love. Instead of feeling wimpy I am stronger than ever. Every day, I walk with Gandhi, King, Kuan Yin, Jesus, Mother Teresa and all those who walked the path before me. When I think I might fall down I ask them to hold me up. Since forgiveness is the path of liberation available in every moment, today I write a letter to forgive someone I am holding in resentment. I don’t need to mail the letter, I simply set myself free from the past. I choose to activate my liberation and I move the world in a direction of peace through my daily choices of forgiveness. Everywhere I go I choose Love and Love chooses me.
Affirmation:
Everywhere I go I choose Love and Love chooses me.
Blessings Rev. Jennifer!
As always, I appreciate the partnering up for prayer. I need to write a forgiveness letter. Thank you for the reminder that I have this tool. There have been challenges. Sometimes, I fall pf the path of choosing love but am learning to pick myself up and let go of the resentments that come up. I know when I harbor such feelings that my heart feels heavy and my energy is low. I am willing to do the footwork to create and recognize love rather than continue to create thoughts of separation. Merry Christmas!
Love our work. So does this imply never provide constructive feed back in a loving way. Do we say something when an accident is about to occur or just allow this to happen or when we know something would help in a situation and not share our thoughts? Could this be seen as abdication instead of partnership in life? Curious?
Love you,
Mike
I have learned that people don’t really want advice they haven’t asked for. No matter HOW lovingly it’s offered. If someone is going to get hit by a bus, or an exploding cup of hot coffee definitely warn them! I find that more often than not, we really don’t know what will help a person, we just think we know what SHOULD be happening and what would help them find that destination.
~Jennifer