I was talking with a friend yesterday who, despite all the hurt he has been served in his life, said he does not hate the one who has hurt him. He said he is hurt, offended, but will not hate. "What's the point? Does {the other person} feel anything? Probably not, so why give them free space in my head with angry thoughts and feelings?" Hmmm...something we should all think about!
you sure make it hard...look at the Big Three of life's no-no's: affairs, killing/murder and abuse, either spouse or child. How does one forgive that? How does one move forward? Then there's sex abuse of minors, alcoholism and the people who put the rest of through that...the list is endless! What's your answer to that?
ReplyDeleteyou make it sound so easy, Ms Reverend. How about when your kids have basically written you off because they decided they know more than their parents? Then what? I can forgive them...but when do they apologize for their end of it? When they are standing over my dead body? How about an alcoholic parent? How does one forgive them for ruining the life of their kids? Maybe some of these alcoholic responders here can help with that one, because my dad drank himself to death...and never said he was sorry for making mom's life a living hell. She had 4 kids to raise...and two of them told her to go to hell because they felt she enabled dad by keeping him at home. She worked two jobs to support us after dad died...he was only 42. She died at 54 from exhaustion. So you see, all this forgiveness leaves a bitter taste in my mouth....it has to start with the perpetrators FIRST!!!
ReplyDeleteOk Dick (hope you don't live up to your name) My story is that I drank, the wife wanted to leave, I begged her to stay. I needed her as well as my kids, but I loved the booze too. She did stay but was so unhappy. I lost her and my daughter in a car accident to, guess what? A drunk driver. Talk about GUILT!! Now not only were they gone but to something I am...a drunk! The depression almost killed me and I drank even more to kill the pain. My son was about ready to throw me out. Rev Baum saved me...her words convinced my son that I am a "keeper," tho I don't know why he does sometimes. Now, Dick, I have to forgive MYSELF daily for what I have done....and I know my son also has to forgive me. Plus I have to forgive that SOB who killed my two precious women in my life. Daily. It is not easy. But unless you do, the pain will kill you. As I said once before, you live in the hell you create. I made my hell, now I must burn in it. But the pain is lessened by forgiveness. Now do you understand? I can't speak for the others on here, but this is the way I feel. Maybe rob can help here too, if he sees this......
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete