Prosperity author, Catherine Ponder, tells the story of a man who had gotten very sick and was under his physician’s care for weeks. Every possible medical thing was done for him, but to no avail. He just continued to get weaker and weaker and developed a cough and high fever. Finally, one night, the man realized that there must be something he needed to let go of in his life.
He became very quiet and asked Divine Intelligence to reveal to him what he needed to release. Suddenly he thought of a person who had said a number of unkind things about him, and he realized he had been holding a strong grudge. At that moment, he began to declare over and over, “I fully and freely forgive you. I release you and let you go. I am free and you are free, and all is again well between us.” He felt a peace come over himself and for the first time in many nights, he slept peacefully. The next morning his fever was gone and he was on the road to recovery.
Harboring unforgiveness and resentment in our hearts does not hurt others. It hurts us. It eats away at our soul, filling it with bitterness and blocking the free flow of God’s good. Buddha said that a person who holds a resentment is like someone who picks up a hot coal all the while expecting the other person to be the one who gets burned. It has also been said that holding resentment is like drinking a bit of poison every single day expecting the other person to die.
Forgiveness is our strongest cleansing tool. Without the use of forgiveness, we deny ourselves access to total healing, abundant prosperity, permanent peace, and all the other good which God wants us to experience—our flow is blocked! Forgiveness is not about accepting abusive behavior; it is not about being a doormat; it has nothing to do with a willingness to re-experience behaviors that have been harmful. Forgiveness is the freeing, releasing, cleansing of our own mind.
I love the definition of forgiveness someone shared with me from A Course In Miracles: “Forgiveness is a shift in perception that removes a block in me to my awareness of Love’s presence.”
Whenever a stubborn problem does not yield, we must go beyond release and bring out the master cleanser—the practice of forgiveness. Forgiveness frees us.
Begin to see past the person who did the behavior into the essence of who they are. In other words, see past the appearances and see the Truth. Then, once again, affirm: “I fully and freely forgive you. I release you and let you go. I am free and you are free, and all is again well between us.” Continue this practice until you feel an inner shift and a new sense of freedom.
Love & blessings!
Rev. Kathy