Forgiveness - The Path
To Healing & Spiritual Growth
by Lisa Hoskins
The dictionary defines the word forgive as: [to pardon, as to for-give an
enemy; to cease to feel resentment for, as to forgive an offense].
I have heard people say this many times: "I will never forgive them
for what they did!", as if by saying this they are causing harm to
the person who hurt them. The reality is that they are doing the harm to
themselves alone. As defined in the dictionary, when you forgive someone
you "cease to feel resentment". Resentment, along with anger,
hate, jealousy and other negative emotions, will eat you up inside and can
cause actual physical ailments and disease.
Often times after we have been emotionally, physically or spiritually
hurt, the pain quickly turns to anger and resentment. We go over the
episodes of the past in our heads, re-living each painful moment again and
again like a never-ending nightmare. Each time we do this the old feelings
surface and we once again feel the gut-wrenching pain the person caused
us. By doing this we are living in the past instead of the present, and it
can be a dangerous thing for everyone involved but the majority of danger
falls right into your lap.
Many people feel that forgiveness is a gift. I agree! It is a gift, but
not to the one you are forgiving. The gift is to yourself and what a wondrous
gift it can be.
By forgiving the people who have hurt you in the past you set yourself
free from the chains of resentment and other harmful emotions running
rampant through your mind, body and spirit. By forgiving you are taking
away the control the other person has over you. You are empowering
yourself and growing by spiritual leaps and bounds. You will heal
deep-rooted pain that perhaps you thought was gone a long time ago but has
survived, living under all of the resentment that you have held onto for
so long. By forgiving you are one step closer to your journey of
self-growth and healing.
Some of you are on a journey of helping Creator to give healing to others
who need it. The first step on your journey is to heal yourself. This can
be very difficult as well as painful but the upside to the difficulties
and pain is the end result, which is very rewarding indeed. It will be
rewarding for both you as a healer and for those who you will help to
heal.
I have heard of horrific and tragic stories relating to the suffering that
people on this earth have gone through and like many of you, I have often
asked how Creator could place anyone in such situations. The truth of the
matter is that many people who have lived such suffering and painful
lives, or have survived horrific events go on to become wonderful healers
on this earth, doing Creator's work.
They start foundations, organizations, become therapists, doctors, authors
of self-help and spiritual books, host talk shows. The list goes on.
So perhaps this was Creator's plan all along and we should be thankful for
many of the sufferings that have taken place and that we have to endure.
Without them many people would not be who they are today - stronger,
healthier, more forgiving, more helpful to others, more loving.
I once held on to a great amount of anger towards someone who had caused
me pain for many years. One day a spiritual healer asked me to surround
this person in light and send him love. I looked at the spiritual healer
as if she were crazy! How DARE she ask me to do such a thing! How did she
even think I would be capable of forgiving someone who had hurt me so
bad?! I tried to remain open to what she was telling me, but honestly did
not believe I could go through with it.
Then she said something to me that grabbed my attention - "By
forgiving him and sending him loving thoughts, you will free yourself and
he will no longer have such a great hold on you". As I drove home
after speaking with her, I thought of this sentence many times and just
the idea of the freedom from the pain sounded so joyous and peaceful, yet
far away at the same time.
About a week later I quietly sat down and asked Creator to help me do what
needed to be done. I asked Creator to surround this man in his light, and
then sent loving thoughts to him along with my forgiveness. Most
importantly, I forgave myself for the choices I had made during those
years, and took responsibility for them as well. The pain that I had been
holding for so long in my heart slowly poured out as I wept tears of
sadness and joy at the same time. That day I freed myself from the chains
of resentment and anger, from the pain I had endured for so many years,
and from the control of a man who would no longer control anything about
me, or within me.... I had healed myself with help from Creator, and from
the spiritual healer who with one sentence changed me, and healed me. I am
thankful to her and to my experience, for it has made me who I am today.
The next time you think of the act of forgiveness, try not to only see the
other person(s) as the only recipient. for you are the most important
recipient involved, and you are well worth it.
___________________
Lisa Hoskins is a jewelry designer
who owns Animal Spirit Jewelry. She has studied animals her whole life and
is now blessed from Spirit to be able to create jewelry based upon the
spiritual principles revolving around animal totems and guides, and
spiritual principles.
You can find her website at http://www.animalspiritjewelry.com
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