Learning to Forgive

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespassed against us.” – Lord’s Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer

When we think about self-care, forgiveness probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Making our spiritual life a priority is an important part of self-care. When we’ve been hurt, it’s hard to think about extending grace and forgiveness to those who wronged us. We may wonder why we should and if it lets them off the hook for what they did.

As special needs moms or women living with chronic illness, we may have been hurt in a number of ways

• Hurtful comments from family members
• Bullying
• Insensitive doctors
• Discrimination at church or school
• Ugly stares and comments from strangers
• Isolation and feeling left out of activities we once were part of

Forgiving doesn’t mean condoning what happened or allowing it to continue. It means we let go of our anger at what happened and leave it in God’s hands. It’s more complex than a one-time “I forgive you.” Ongoing forgiveness is an intentional process that we practice one day at a time. We may have to do it over and over every time the resentment or thought pops up and that may process may take some time.

To forgive is to set yourself free.

“Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. Like all of life’s important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root very early in our lives.” 
― Fred Rogers

For more reading about hurts and healing, please visit my friend Debbie’s blog where she’s writing about 31 Days Of Hope and Healing.

This post is part of the Write31Days Project.