As I continue to work on myself, so that I may heal from the inside out, I am lead to dive deep into forgiveness. Forgiveness for my wrongs to others, forgiveness of those who have hurt me and/or my loved ones, and forgiveness of myself. I believe that we cannot truly be healed until we release all the resentment, anger, and bitterness that we harbor and have been carrying around. Some of which has been living inside of us for decades. This idea is not my own, but came from reading about Joel Osteen's Mother, Dodie, and her miraculous healing from terminal cancer in the 1980's. She shared how she was healed by God, including the things she did to aid in her own healing, such as apologizing to those she felt she had mistreated. I just extended forgiveness to fit my particular circumstances because it's definitely not one size fits all.
Let me start by saying this is not and will not be easy. I'm a very stubborn, Type A personality, and pretty good at coming up with an argument to justify just about any behavior. However, if I truly want to heal, I must release and learn to let go of those things that do not serve God or myself. If not, I'm only hurting myself and allowing my internal environment to be toxic and prone to disease. By forgiving, I'm also extending grace to others just as God has in forgiving us of our sins.
Now, there are so many different levels of forgiveness, degrees if you will. As a result, none of this will occur overnight; however, I am on a spiritual mission to dive into it all--little by little. Some will come in the form of prayer. Others via handwritten letter, email, text, or telephone. I've already began this powerful way of healing, but I definitely have a long way to go. You'd be surprised at the ill feelings we harbor and have been for way too long. I encourage all of you, whether or not you are dealing with illness or tough times, to consider a similar healing process. Forgiveness is so incredibly powerful and beautiful.
Love & Sunblock