Will wrote:
I’m still on yesterdays blog with the emails you received. How do you do your forgiveness? Not how the Course says but what goes on inside your mind so to speak. Also if you would like to comment what has been the process (not sure that’s the right word) over the years of forgiveness with you. How has it changed if at all. Again not what the Course tells us so much as how YOU do it.
Thanks
w.
My response:
Dear Will,
I am grateful for your comments and dedication. Thank you!
The way i do forgiveness is to realize the total IMPORTANCE of salvation – that I literally keep the world in chains & pain & suffering whenever I hold a grievance. It has taken me great practice, although now I see that there really is no “process” involved and at any time I could have made a decision to forgive and forget.
For me, it’s like pushing a delete button in my mind. I just delete every grievance, sometimes even before I feel the sting of pain.
For the Love of God, and for the love of Jesus, and for the love of my brothers.
I do it because I’m the savior.
I’m responsible for this world, and realizing I’m the cause of it … I’m willing to do what Jesus is asking.
He says love, give and forgive. Don’t judge. Give your brother your coat and your cloak and walk with him twice as far as he asks you to go. Love your enemy. Love your neighbor.
Once you begin thinking like this, it gets easier and easier.
and then miracles start occurring, and then it gets really fun, and you wouldn’t want to hang onto a grievance not even for a million dollars!
I’m actually at a point now where it’s physically impossible for me to be mad. I can’t do it. I still have moments of passion (hey, I’m Taurus!) – a little temper tantrum or outburst but anger is rare and it doesn’t last. I see that I’m only hurting myself, and I don’t want to do that to myself anymore. So I take total responsibility for everything that seems to occur. I don’t hold onto grievances, because it’s just not worth it.
Plus, holding grievances (anger, upset, sadness) never solved a single problem for me, so they are completely useless emotions and a waste of energy.
for me a couple things happened – one is the lesson “I want the peace of God”. I had read that lesson many times over the years, but suddenly, one day, I really really really wanted the peace of God. I really meant it. It wasn’t just like reading words on the page. I really was finished with conflict and had the willingness to do ANYTHING to avoid it – including being wrong about everything, and to stay in an action of constant forgiveness.
I just want to be happy.
the other thing is a line in the text that says “forgiveness does make lovely, but it does not create.”
!!!!!!!!!!!!
when I read that sentence, I knew instantly that forgiveness is still within the realm of being human. You forgive, you say you’re sorry, you kiss & make up, but you are still short of CREATION.
And creation is what I really wanted. To be in that space where miracles were happening naturally, always, as a direct result of the purity of my own mind.
So that how it works for me.
I hope this is helpful.
Have you had a chance to read my book? Gorgeous for God? It’s the last 3 years of blog posts and if you like what I write in this message and on the blog, you will probably enjoy the book.
It’s available from Amazon.com:
I love you.
lisa
Facebook comments:
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your post. In answering Will’s excellent question, you bring up the place where a lot of us want to forgive, but we do not necessarily have any tools to actually do it. ACIM gives us lots of guidance, but it doesn’t give step by step instructions as far as personal grievances and reactions to attack are concerned.
I’d like to alert you to the growing practical tools that are being developed to help people navigate their inner landscape, so that we all can release grievances as soon as possible…eventually, in the moment they appear to be occurring.
Most of us humans have an accumulated backlog of anger, resentment and burdens that we have created…not realizing our innocence. Many of these are old memories of painful things that have happened which need to be released if we are going to live in trust and joy.
I recommend the work of Radical Forgiveness and also working with a forgiveness coach if you feel that would help you to learn these practical tools. I am one of the coaches, so feel free to ask me questions, or contact http://www.radicalforgiveness.com for additional information.
in peace and divine love!
Ana
In case it doesn’t show in the last post, my sites are http://www.anaholub.com and http://www.clearpathtopeace.com
I did it by taking myself out of the equation and deleteing any technical relation. He’s not my dad – he’s a guy who try to do his best and sucked at it.
I found that once I removed the expectation of how I expected my FATHER to act, I was able to move on. He’s just Phil, and Phil I can deal with sans rancor.
Talk about forgiveness is very interesting and it’s not easy for action. Guys, i got something here for us to look and get some understanding of ‘The Power Of Forgiveness”. It’s great 3 series we need to understand we we must forgive and how the person be forgiven. Just make click at Part 1, hrf=”http://www.sermonalive.com/forgiven/the-power-of-forgivness2″ rel=”nofollow”>part 2, and part 3.
Enjoy it, let never stop shouting for change….. and God bless you!
jesus , says forgiving is forgetting . there is no how to . there is just thought that you think you need to do something about when it is already done .
what you think your brother did to you never really occured . there is no process you need to go through to understand this . it just is true . if that is at the forefront of your mind then forgiveness is complete.
jesus also says ,
the thought is already gone. you have to reacreate it anew to hold on to it .
max