Sometimes in life one of the hardest things to do can be to forgive someone. ( Depending of course - on the severity of what they've done) Yet once you are able to forgive - you set yourself free. Forgiveness is also an essential element of successful relationships.
It doesn't mean you become a doormat - but it's important to recognise that as individuals - we will each learn lessons through the mistakes we make.
No one is perfect - we will all require forgiveness at some point.
To forgive does not mean you continue to live with it - it does not excuse it.
It may - however - help to ease the pain
I've sourced two quotes on this...
Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future. Louis B. Smedes
When we forgive evil we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it, we do not smother it. We look the evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it. Louis B. Smedes
Lovely post appropriate for the fact we just celebrated easter. I totally love the second quote especially the significance that to forgive is about setting yourself free.
ReplyDeleteMy quote for today as I listened is that "sometimes through our wounds the light shines bright we just have to make a place in our hearts to create the light of forgiveness.
Great quote - so true - so clear...'make a place in our hearts...'
ReplyDeleteI will remember this as I go about my day to life.. I need reminding every so often!!
I suspect there are many wounded souls out there - carrying a weight of bitterness that dulls thier light. We gor to 'let go' and 'let love'
Yes isn't it amazing sometimes we say oh I have forgiven what so and so did to me but the catch is we don't forget and that bitterness is what rules the rest of our actions. So really I guess we have to forgive and forget no point doing a job half heartedly...
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