Forgiveness

I always thought that forgiveness was solely on an individual basis and never really comprehended the full meaning of it all. Forgiveness comes in layers and with each layer you have to dig deep within yourself and re-live each circumstance. Each layer may take you back a few years while others might take you back to your early childhood. Either way, you must take the journey back. For some the journey might be more painful than others.

How would I describe the feeling that you get after you have chosen to forgive? The best way that I can explain it is in this example. You are a body of water flowing through a stream. There are rocks on the bottom of the stream which slows down your flow. In some places there are so many rocks that you are having trouble making it through the passage. At the final point you are down to a trickle, there are too many rocks to make it to the river. You can associate the rocks in the stream with resentment, anger, rebellious behavior, and so much more.

If you are unable to forgive, it might just be crippling your soul. This in itself is a very powerful statement and I chose it for a reason. To be able to forgive is a very powerful thing. You have to come to terms with life, it is not always fair. You have to look what happened to you straight in the face and come to terms with it. No one else can do this for you. You have to release all the emotions that go with it. To forgive means growing from one point in your life to the next. You will enjoy the rest of your life with such a weight that has been lifted.

This is what it means, life is ever changing. The person may or may not be at the same level in their life. Maybe they have changed or maybe they are still the same, it doesn’t matter, you are changing. You need to go on with your life, pain free. If you’re mad, acknowledge just how mad you are. Don’t carry the anger on your shoulders. Everyone you associate with should not be exposed to the anger that you carry around with you.

Don’t wait for the apology, sometimes it never comes. You are the bigger person; you are the one that’s stronger. I always believe that you are only made weak for a little while. Your inner strength will always come back. As time evolves, you will look and see just how weak the other person/people truly are. You are a bigger person for doing what it takes and looking inside yourself and seeing just how crippling the anger really is. Release it for your own good. Carry forward with your life. Forgive them because they don’t realize they did anything wrong. They might have grown up and changed their behavior. They might not be the same person, and if they are the same person, they need to be forgiven even more. Forgive them and always wish them well. They have their own demons to contend with. They might only be doing what they know, and that is sad in itself because they chose not to learn anything different.

When you forgive, your heart will open up. You will feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of you. You will feel more intensely and more freely. You will never look at things the same again. Here is the difference; you have to be strong enough to do the hard work that comes with forgiveness. It takes a bigger person to deal with all the hard work of going inside and dealing with the emotions than it does to run and hide. I pray you find peace on your journey.