Forgiveness Heals

 Imagine a world where everyone forgave everything. There would be no need for revenge, conflict or war; no family rifts, lost friendships or grudges. We would see each person as God sees them-worthy of unconditional love.

A tall order, of course, but worth pondering and working towards.  If each one of us, in our own little radius of influence, were to spend time in prayer, asking for the heart to forgive each person who has wronged us, and most importantly, to forgive ourselves, the world might begin to change, little by little.

Toxic emotions, like regret, anger, resentment and guilt, can affect us in negative ways, not only emotionally and spiritually, but physically as well. We are complex beings; body, mind and spirit are interconnected and everything that we expose ourselves to in one realm affects the others in ways that we are not always consciously aware of.

Numerous studies have shown that negative emotions like anger, hostility, anxiety and guilt can suppress our immune systems, weaken our heart function and cause digestive problems. Conversely, letting go of burdens and consciously focusing on the positive has been shown to have a beneficial effect on health.

So for today, let's begin to heal ourselves with forgiveness of all hurts and release of all resentment and guilt:

I will share two little forgiveness prayers:

Dear God, I thank You for the power of forgiveness, and I choose to forgive everyone who has hurt me. Help me set [name anyone who has offended you] free and release them to You. Help me bless those who have hurt. Help me walk in righteousness, peace, and joy, demonstrating Your life here on earth. I choose to be kind and compassionate, forgiving others, just as You forgave me  -Amen.

Father, today I ask forgiveness of all the negative and harmful words I have spoken about myself. I do not want to abuse myself in such a way again. Transform my thoughts and let me understand how marvelously you made me. Change my habits so I use my tongue to speak hope and favor upon my life.

*Chistianity.com

 

Have a blessed day!

 

 

At the Edge of all the Light...Faith

 "When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen-  there will be something solid for us to stand on or God will teach us to fly"- "Faith", by Patrick Overton, The Leaning Tree.

For years, I had a calligraphy wall hanging with this quote in my front hall. It spoke to me on a level that I didn't fully understand until now. Faith is so much more than a profession of belief or an adherence to dogma; it is a willingness to surrender all to a God we cannot see or really even comprehend.  Sometimes, we don't fully realize how difficult true faith is until we are in a situation where we must simply trust that there is a Benevolent Being who will take over when we have come to the end of ourselves, when we have nothing left to give.

It's really hard to give up control, to let go of our attachment to a certain outcome and to release our expectations for someone or something. Many of us, particularly women of a certain generation, are nurturers and "fixers"... always wanting to make things better, more beautiful, closer to the ideals that we hold in our minds.  But people don't always appreciate our attempts to mold them as a potter molds clay, to lend a hand, to offer a band-aid.  Sometimes what's needed is to let someone fall and then pick themselves up with God's help, not ours.

This definition of faith applies to so many situations in life really.  Whenever we seem to come to a roadblock, where the way forward is unclear and a little (or a lot) scary, we can surrender our sense of control and our expectations, pause to pray and then just wait...for a glimmer of light on the path, for the "something solid to stand on", for some newfound ability to fly.  Sometimes, to do nothing and simply wait for a sign or a bit of guidance, is the best course of "action" we can take.

So on this wintry Valentine's morning, as we think about those we love and care deeply for, may we trust that God knows them best and is doing a good work in each one of them.  May we trust the people and situations in our lives to that Higher Power who lives in and all around us, breathing life into all.

Butterfly Moment

 My father passed away peacefully in his sleep four years ago this August.  His 96-year-old heart just stopped beating in the wee hours of the morning and he never woke up. The death was not unexpected, given his age and health, but it was devastating all the same. He had always been a tower of strength...even as his body weakened, his spirit stayed determined and seemingly indomitable.  Yet here we were, in a world without him and the grief was, as it always is, difficult to process.

About a month after he died, Tom and I drove to my dad's favorite sunset spot at the lake. We sat on a bench in the late afternoon glow, watching boats and birds play in the magical light as the sun began to set. 

Suddenly, right in front of us, small groups of butterflies began to flit by, seeming to dance in the fading light.  We sat mesmerized as a steady stream of them flew before our eyes in a lovely parade of color and motion that continued for fifteen minutes or so. We looked behind us in the direction they were flying and realized that they had all lighted on one tree... there now appeared to be hundreds of butterflies hanging on the tree, flapping their wings.  We were astounded at the sight and pointed it out to people walking by, who all looked in amazement.

This moment seemed like a gift from God...one of those special "coincidences" that I spoke of last week.  It was an incredibly beautiful sight that felt like just what I needed to soothe my grief--a symbol of transformation and resurrection. In that moment, as we sat in one of his favorite spots, it seemed to be an assurance that my father was still alive, transformed into something beautiful.

I've held that memory in my heart for the past few years, feeling it too precious to share. But this morning, as I was waking, it came to mind with an insistence, perhaps to remind us that spring will come, as it always does and beauty, hope and love live on.