Oct 10 2008
Lesli’s Favorite
To love when one has been wronged-
…it is not the most natural reaction provoked when a heart has been injured. Yet I’ve recently really started to grasp this concept that I’ve always thought to be common sense…that I’ve always been told but never fully understood…which is that showing forgiveness and love are the only true ways to be able to move on, to learn and grow unfettered from regret, and celebrate the good memories created in sometimes not the most formidable of circumstances.
Because these memories all intertwine and become our life, our story.
Why focus only on the bad ones? You’ll miss all that good. Why continue to look back? In doing so, you’re missing your own life and everything beautiful in it.
Whenever we are angry with someone, whenever we hold grudges, or gossip about someone, spewing all of that hate and negativity in our universe, whether it warranted or not…it somehow gives this person this definite and infinite power over our lives, thus hindering us from moving on, healing, and more than likely even forging any healthy new relationships, no matter what the nature.
When you are bitterly holding on to the past, it is impossible to fully get on with your future.
And so when you have been hurt, you must completely go against your initial impulse to react and retaliate by not trying to fight fire with fire. It is hard, but if you react by doing anything other than forgiving the party responsible for all your hurt, then they win. They have power over you. They are still significant to you in some way in your life, and you are preventing yourself from healing the wound and cutting all ties, which leaves the door open for the injury to reoccur, if not worsen. Who wants to be enslaved to their past, anyway? My mom always says that regret looks back, worry looks around, but hope looks up.
One of my favorite verses and one of a regrettably few I have memorized is:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Forgive, learn, and move on without looking back. And while doing this, love.
Love with all your heart. Do these things, and you will be blessed.
