Day 4 Practice: ~ Forgiveness ~

Forgive

This is the tough one, because it's a continual process.  But it's also the area of greatest growth and compassion.

Let me give it to you straight. The sum total of all this is this. Forgiveness is the only way out.  Our suffering is transformed into deep compassion through forgiveness.

You aren't created to hold the hurt, the abuse, the guilt, and the shame.  You can't handle the resentment, the anger, the rage, and the deep despair that nothings ever gonna change. It will eat you alive and spit you out on the side of the road. It will destroy you. It will isolate you.  It will kill you.  You've got to forgive and forgive and forgive, until it's hardwired into your subconscious. You've got to practice forgiveness.  

Forgiveness is learned.  It is never earned.  No one ever deserves forgiveness. Ever.  Forgiveness is always a gift. It is our gift of grace to ourselves, and to others.


Weed Your Garden ~ You Are The Garden of God

It's like we've got a weed patch in our garden. The weed seeds and runners keep sprouting up, choking all the goodness out of us. If we let it be, we become a garden of briars, cutting everybody who comes in contact with us...sharing the wealth of weed seeds through gossip and the like. And mowing our weeds won't cut it for long, it's just an illusion. So, Pull the weeds as they come up.

Pull each weed out by it's roots, or they'll take over your life, kill all the goodness in you, and leave you all alone.

Deal With It Now Or It Will Snowball On You Later

We've all gotta learn how to deal with things, as they come up.  And there aren't any shortcuts.  So Please don't shove them back down into the basement of your life. Don't lock the door.  They'll just come out in covert and destructive ways, like weeds.  The worst part of it is, that you won't see a thing, until the damage is already done. "It's not what you're eating, it's what's eating you."

So, ask forgiveness, give forgiveness, make amends where you can, when it isn't going to harm the other person, then move on.

Stop Being Rigid ~ Forgive

For those of us who deal with depression regularly, forgiveness is Huge.  Unforgiveness is the unseen predator that stalks our darkest dreams...stealing, killing and destroying.  Unforgiveness opens our door to the enemy of our souls.

That's why forgiveness and a clear and transparent relationship with God is critical.

Nelson Mandela former President of South Africa, imprisoned for 27 years, puts it this way, "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."

Unforgiveness is the enemy's key to your soul.  Not to own your soul, but to enter and raise all out hell.

~Forgiveness releases all heaven, to work on your behalf.

~Forgiveness releases you from your self-imposed prison of depression.

~Forgiveness is oxygen to your soul.

Finally, for most of us, the hardest person to forgive is ourselves.  We see the fallout of our actions and rightly surmise, we don't deserve to be forgiven.

You Hold The Key To Freedom ~ God Can't Forgive Until You Do

And yes, we don't deserve forgiveness, but God commands it.  Why?  Because He wants to heal our brokenness, to transform us, and to bring us into intimate fellowship with Himself.  And without forgiveness, He can't even start the process.

Let Go ~ Set Yourself Free ~

We all hold crap inside.  You've got to let it go, and let God handle it.

~You'll feel better, out from under all that oppressive weight.

~ There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience. French Proverb

There's so much more that needs to be said, but...

~Forgive, Right Now!  Just Do It! Get Started. Practice It. Forgiveness.