FORGIVENESS

          Whose shoes have you walked in lately?  For most people the answer is "my own".  A wise American Indian saying is that you cannot understand another man completely until you have walked in his moccasins. 

           If you are like many of your fellow human beings, you may have passed judgment or made assumptions about other people without much knowledge of the challenges they face.  You do not know what their childhood was like behind the scenes or what is happening now in the privacy of their homes.  You can only guess at the level of debt they are carrying or their state of mind.  They may be depressed or bitter, feeling unable to overcome the barriers they face.  Some of that negative emotion may have been directed at you because you were in their immediate space.  They could be living with pain day after day.  You may have responded to them with bitterness of your own because you too are hurting.  

          Sometimes, people show up in your life as mirrors to help you recognize your own suffering.  Their irritating energy brings your issues to the surface to be resolved and healed.  When you do not recognize this opportunity, you may attack the other people verbally or spread negative gossip about them to others.

          There is a more positive way to respond.  An affront to your dignity could stimulate a chance to look at life from a higher perspective.  When you take the time to reflect on the perceived "bad" behavior, you could also ask yourself, "What lesson is this teaching me? What opportunity is this giving me?"

         Christ asked forgiveness for those who tormented him and nailed him to a cross.  He set a wonderful, loving example for you and me.  His prayer was, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." 
 
          We would do well to follow His example.  Forgive yourself for judging others.  Forgive them if you feel they have insulted or hurt you.  Ask God to bless them on their journey and to help them find alternatives to their frustrating choices.  You do not have to walk with them.  Just forgive them and release them in God's care.

Light and love,

Patricia Churchill