The hardest part of forgiveness is not forgetting: it is remembering.
This type of memory requires courage and is a grace, that is, a gift of time, a gift of God. Forgiveness is a spiritual virtue which we cannot have or attain unless we are willing, even desperate, to share it. We cannot forgive on demand. Forgiveness is not an act of will. It is an act of grace. It is a healing. It is driven by processes and endowments we did not create but from which we benefit, if we make healthy choices in our most difficult moments. In this way, like love, forgiveness is a choice.
Forgiveness comes at great cost. To forgive we must endure great pain. We must face honestly our hurt and the pain we have caused others. Forgiving is excruciating. Fairness is most often uninvolved. There is nothing fair about grace.
I have a dear friend that is going through various stages of rehabilitation after a severe shoulder injury and operation. She talks to me about pain so honestly, about her...progress that does not seem at all like progress to her. We talk about her fear(s). She helps me see that to heal she must strategically stretch the capacity of her injury to restore the functionality of her vital limb...
Forgiveness comes at great cost.
Our hearts are a most vital limb...
Forgiveness is rehab for our hearts...
And, in time, we may be able to love as much and even more...
In time...
No comments:
Post a Comment