The most important thing to understand about forgiveness is that this courageous act should be done by you for you. When you feel you have been wronged in some way, it can feel strangely good to harbor resentment against the person who hurt you. Doing this however, only harms you because you are now carrying around negative feelings.
In your hurt, anger and grief, you can mistakenly feel as if the bigger your anger, the more likely the person who is the target of it, will be suffering. While it’s possible that the other person may be feeling some sort of guilt for what you think they’ve done, it’s also quite possible that they feel they have done nothing wrong and are just going about their lives.
Your anger can never make them feel what you think they SHOULD be feeling, which is why the act of forgiveness is always for you. It’s YOUR letting go.
Imagine your peace when you let go of all your anger and bitterness, and accept that what happened was an opportunity for you to grow. Forgive and find peace. Do it for you.
© 2012 – MarBeth Dunn, all rights reserved.
