Forgive

and
Be Healed

The Spirituality & Science of

Forgiveness
 What is forgiveness?
-Reducing or eliminating resentment
and motivations toward revenge
-in close relationships to include
more than merely getting rid of the
negative.
-Everett Worthington Jr.,

The New Science of Forgiveness

Instead, he becomes more
motivated by feelings of
goodwill, despite the offender’s
hurtful actions.
In a close relationship, we
hope, forgiveness will not only
move us past negative
emotions, but move us toward a
net positive feeling.
-Everett Worthington Jr.,
The New Science of Forgiveness
 Dr. Everett L.
Worthington Jr.
 What it is:
Researchers studying the health
benefits of forgiveness generally
define it as the process of
letting go of the pain, anger
and resentment caused by an
offense.
 What it isn't:
Forgiveness isn't denying the hurt,
or staying in a relationship that is
not healthy.
It is not instant; premature
forgiveness could be a sign of low
self-esteem or other problems.
“Forgiving does not mean
excusing, forgetting or
pretending that an offense
never occurred.”
-Julie Juola Exline,
associate professor of psychology
Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland
 Why it matters:

Hundreds of studies have linked

forgiveness to improved physical and
emotional well-being.
In controlled tests at the University of
Wisconsin Madison, for example,
researcher Robert Enright sums up
the findings in two words:
"Forgiveness works."
 Last July 2008, the journal Mental
Health, Religion and Culture reported
that people who forgave had
decreased odds of depression

Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, an

associate professor of psychology at
Hope College in Holland, Mich.,
researched on what physical effects
people exhibited when they
remembered the transgressions
against them.
 When people remembered the
transgressions, the bio-markers
showed elevated stress and
tension.
When she had them think about
forgiveness, she says the results
were significant.
Her team found that vets who
had trouble with forgiveness
experienced more problems with
PTSD.
As for the immune system, the theory
is that unforgiveness is a personal
stressor, which means every time it is
felt, it triggers a stress reaction.

Cortisol, a hormone produced by the

adrenal glands, rushes to the body's
defense, contributing energy,
suppressing inflammation and even
regulating the deposition of fat in the
body.
Too much cortisol, however, can
interfere with the immune system
"For the past 60 years, psychology has
approached people through victimology
and a disease model of fixing broken
things. While it is not a panacea or a
substitute for addressing genuine
problems, positive psychology can be a
tool to help heal mental illness -- and
improve quality of life for everyone. "
- Marty Seligman, a University of Pennsylvania professor who used
his tenure as president of the APA three years ago to promote a
greater emphasis on positive traits and emotions.
Seligman has created the Positive Psychology Network to advance
these ideas. It promotes seminars and scientific conferences,
supports research and encourages young scientists to enter the field.
 Stanford Forgiveness Project
by psychologist Frederic Luskin

Research results indicate that people who

went through the six-week Stanford program
were significantly more optimistic and
willing to use forgiveness as a coping
strategy months after the training ended,
than people who had been randomly
assigned to a control group.
Furthermore, those who had taken the
training reported fewer backaches,
headaches, muscle pains, stomach upsets
and other common physical signs of stress.
 "When you give too much
space to that which has hurt
you, what you're shutting out
is your own ability to feel love
and joy,"
- Dr. Fred Luskin
"The problem with our stories is
they always focus on 'them'--the
other person--and why he won't
change or what she won't do.
That gives them power they
shouldn't have.”
 Forgiveness is the moment to
moment experience of peace and
understanding that occurs when an
injured party's suffering is reduced
as they transform their grievance
against an offending party.
Three Components in Creating an
Interpersonal Grievance:

3.Take something too personally.

4.Blame the offender for how you
feel.
5.Create a grievance story that
reflects helplessness.
Core Components of Forgiveness:

3.View the offense less

personally.
4.Take responsibility for your own
emotional experience.
5.Change the story to reflect the
heroic choice to grow and
prosper
What's more, telling that story is a ticket to
rising blood pressure, surging adrenaline, and a
familiar sense of anger and frustration, perhaps
even tears. Luskin says the more you repeat
the grievance story, the more victimized you
feel, the more stress you develop, and the less
likely it is that you can get over it.
"Our bodies react as if we're in real danger
right now to a story of how someone hurt us
seven years ago. It's the fight-or-flee
response," he says.
"You're feeling anger, your heart rhythm
changes, cholesterol is dumped into your
bloodstream, breathing gets shallow." People
get stuck in that response, stop thinking
clearly, and end up rehashing the same thing
“It is also a daily practice.
You’ve got to forgive the
little things.
It’s not just that you were
abused or somebody ran
over your kid, but life is
constantly disappointing
us.”
- F. Luskin
 THE EFFECT OF FORGIVENESS TRAINING ON
PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS
IN COLLEGE AGE ADULTS 
Luskin, F. M., Ginzburg, K & Thoresen, C. E. (2005)   Humboldt
Journal of Social Relations. Special Issue: Altruism, intergroup
apology and  forgiveness: antidote for a divided world.  29(2)
163-184  
goals of training:
to significantly reduce the level of anger
to help participants significantly reduce the level of hurt
to help people learn to forgive as a general problem solving strategy
to help participants forgive the person who hurt them
to improve the psychological functioning
 EFFECTS OF GROUP FORGIVENESS
INTERVENTION ON PERCEIVED
STRESS, STATE AND TRAIT ANGER,
SYMPTOMS OF STRESS, SELF-
REPORTED HEATHAND FORGIVENESS
(STANFORD FORGIVENESS PROJECT)
 
Harris, A.H, Luskin, F.M.., Benisovich, S.V.,
Standard, S., Bruning, J., Evans, S. and Thoresen, C. 
(2006) Effects of a group forgiveness intervention
on forgiveness, perceived stress and trait anger: A
randomized trial Journal of Clinical Psychology.
62(6) 715-733.
 HYPERTENSION REDUCTION THROUGH
FORGIVENESS TRAINING 
Tibbits, D., Ellis, G., Piramelli, C., Luskin, F.,  &
Lukman, R.  ( 2006).   Hypertension reduction
through forgiveness training.   Journal of
Pastoral Care and Counseling.  60(1-2):27-34.
Those who received forgiveness training achieved significant reductions in
anger expression when compared to the control group.
While reductions in blood pressure were not achieved by all the
participants, those participants who entered the program with elevated
anger expression scores did achieve significant reductions in blood
pressure.
It is suggested that forgiveness training may be an effective clinical
intervention for some hypertensive patients with elevated levels of anger.
 What is forgiveness?
There's no one definition of forgiveness.
But in general, forgiveness is a decision to
let go of resentments and thoughts of
revenge.
Forgiveness is the act of untying yourself
from thoughts and feelings that bind you to
the offense committed against you. This
can reduce the power these feelings
otherwise have over you, so that you can a
live freer and happier life in the
present.
Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of
understanding, empathy and compassion
 What are the benefits of
forgiving someone?

Researchers have recently become

interested in studying the effects of
being unforgiving and being
forgiving.

Evidence is mounting that holding on

to grudges and bitterness results in
long-term health problems.
Forgiveness, on the other hand, offers numerous
benefits, including:
•Lower blood pressure
•Stress reduction
•Less hostility
•Better anger management skills
•Lower heart rate
•Lower risk of alcohol or substance abuse
•Fewer depression symptoms
•Fewer anxiety symptoms
•Reduction in chronic pain
•More friendships
•Healthier relationships
•Greater religious or spiritual well-being
•Improved psychological well-being
 Why do we hold grudges and
become resentful and unforgiving?
The people most likely to hurt us are
those closest to us — our partners,
friends, siblings and parents.
When we're hurt by someone we love
and trust — whether it's a lie, betrayal,
rejection, abuse or insult — it can be
extremely difficult to overcome.
And even minor offenses can turn into
huge conflicts.
 When you experience hurt or
harm from someone's actions or
words, whether this is intended or
not, you may begin experiencing
negative feelings such as anger,
confusion or sadness, especially
when it's someone close to you.

These feelings may start out

small. But if you don't deal with
them quickly, they can grow
bigger and more powerful.
They may even begin to crowd out
positive feelings.

Grudges filled with resentment,

vengeance and hostility take root
when you dwell on hurtful events
or situations, replaying them in
your mind many times.
How do I know it's time to try to
embrace forgiveness?
When we hold on to pain, old
grudges, bitterness and even hatred,
many areas of our lives can suffer.
When we're unforgiving, it's we who
pay the price over and over.
We may bring our anger and
bitterness into every relationship
and new experience.
Our lives may be so wrapped up in
the wrong that we can't enjoy the
present.
Other signs that it may be time to
consider forgiveness include:
•Dwelling on the events surrounding the
offense
•Hearing from others that you have a chip
on your shoulder or that you're wallowing in
self-pity
•Being avoided by family and friends
because they don't enjoy being around you
•Having angry outbursts at the smallest
perceived slights
•Often feeling misunderstood
•Drinking excessively, smoking or using
drugs to try to cope with your pain
Other signs that it may be time to
consider forgiveness include:
•Having symptoms of depression or anxiety
•Being consumed by a desire for revenge or
punishment
•Automatically thinking the worst about
people or situations
•Regretting the loss of a valued relationship
•Feeling like your life lacks meaning or
purpose
•Feeling at odds with your religious or
spiritual beliefs
The bottom line is that you may often feel
 How do I reach a state
of forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a
commitment to a
process of change.
It can be difficult and it
can take time.
Everyone moves toward
forgiveness a little
differently.
How do I reach a state of forgiveness?

Another is to reflect on the facts of

the situation, how we've reacted, and
how this combination has affected our
lives.
Then, as we are ready, we can
actively choose to forgive the one
who has offended us.
In this way, we move away from our
role as a victim and release the
control and power the offending
person and situation have had in our
 What happens if I can't forgive
someone?
Forgiveness can be very
challenging.

It may be particularly hard to

forgive someone who doesn't
admit wrong or doesn't speak of
their sorrow.

Keep in mind that the key

If you find yourself stuck, it may
be helpful to take some time to
talk with a person you've found
to be wise and compassionate,
such as a spiritual leader, a
mental health provider or an
unbiased family member or
friend.
 It may also be helpful to reflect on
times you've hurt others and on those
who have forgiven you.
As you recall how you felt, it may help
you to understand the position of the
person who hurt you.
It can also be beneficial to pray, use
guided meditation or journal.
In any case, if the intention to forgive
is present, forgiveness will come in its
time.
 Does forgiveness guarantee
reconciliation?

Not always.
In some cases, reconciliation may be
impossible because the offender has
died.
In other cases, reconciliation may not
be appropriate, especially if you were
attacked or assaulted.
But even in those cases, forgiveness is
still possible, even if reconciliation
 On the other hand, if the hurtful
event involved a family member
or friend whose relationship you
otherwise value, forgiveness may
lead to reconciliation.
This may not happen quickly, as
you both may need time to re-
establish trust.
But in the end, your relationship
may very well be one that is rich
and fulfilling.
What if I have to interact
with the person who hurt
me but I don't want to?
How do I know when I've
truly forgiven someone?
 Forgiveness may result in sincerely
spoken words such as "I forgive you"
or tender actions that fit the
relationship.
But more than this, forgiveness
brings a kind of peace that helps you
go on with life.
The offense is no longer front and
center in your thoughts or feelings.
Your hostility, resentment and misery
have made way for compassion,
kindness and peace.
Also, remember that forgiveness
often isn't a one-time thing.

It begins with a decision, but

because memories or another
set of words or actions may
trigger old feelings, you may
need to recommit to forgiveness
over and over again.
 What if the person I'm
forgiving doesn't change?
 Getting the other person to
change their actions, behavior or
words isn't the point of
forgiveness.
In fact, the other person may
never change or apologize for
the offense.

Think of forgiveness more about

how it can change your life — by
bringing you more peace,
What if I'm the one who
needs forgiveness?
 In any case, we have to be
willing to forgive ourselves.
Holding on to resentment
against yourself can be just as
toxic as holding on to
resentment against someone
else.
Recognize that poor behavior or
mistakes don't make you
worthless or bad.
 Forgiveness of yourself or
someone else, though not easy,
can transform your life.
Instead of dwelling on the
injustice and revenge, instead
of being angry and bitter,
you can move toward a life of
peace, compassion, mercy, joy
and kindness.
 THE NINE STEPS TO FORGIVENESS
1. Know exactly how you feel about what happened and
be able to articulate what about the situation is not OK.
Then, tell a trusted couple of people about your
experience.  
2. Make a commitment to yourself to do what you have
to do to feel better. Forgiveness is for you and not for
anyone else.  
3. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation
with the person that hurt you, or condoning of their
action. What you are after is to find peace. Forgiveness
can be defined as the "peace and understanding that
come from blaming that which has hurt you less, taking
the life experience less personally, and changing your
grievance story."
4. Get the right perspective on what is happening.
Recognize that your primary distress is coming from the
hurt feelings, thoughts and physical upset you are
suffering now, not what offended you or hurt you two
5. At the moment you feel upset practice a simple stress
management technique to soothe your body's flight or fight
response.  
6. Give up expecting things from other people, or your life ,
that they do not choose to give you. Recognize the
"unenforceable rules" you have for your health or how you or
other people must behave. Remind yourself that you can hope
for health, love, peace and prosperity and work hard to get
them.
7. Put your energy into looking for another way to get your
positive goals met than through the experience that has hurt
you. Instead of mentally replaying your hurt seek out new
ways to get what you want.
8. Remember that a life well lived is your best revenge.
Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, and thereby
giving the person who caused you pain power over you, learn
to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.
Forgiveness is about personal power.
9. Amend your grievance story to remind you of the heroic
choice to forgive. 
 The Four Stages of Forgiveness

Step 1: You are filled with self justified anger.

At some point in your life you have been wounded

and you are mad at and/or hurt by the person you
feel wronged you.
You blame the person committing the wrong for
how you are feeling. It is their action and not your
choice of response that you determine to be the
cause of your distress.
You have forgotten that you have choices as to how
you can react, or you are so wounded that you are
convinced that it would not be right to forgive the
offense.
At this stage there is usually both active and
 The Four Stages of Forgiveness

Step 2: after feeling upset with someone for a while

you realize that the hurt and anger do not feel good
to you

It may be impacting your emotional balance and/or

physical health. Or you wish to repair the damage to
the relationship.
So you take steps to forgive. You may begin to see
the problem from the other person's point of view
or you may simply decide to let the problem go.
In either case, after an extended period of time, you
are no longer aggrieved and have forgiven the
person with whom you were angry.
This process of forgiveness can be applied to anger
 The Four Stages of Forgiveness

Step 3: after you have seen the results of

forgiveness in action and you choose to let go of a
new interpersonal grievance fairly quickly
In this stage you choose to feel the hurt for a
shorter period of time, and then work to either
repair the relationship or let go of seeing the
situation as a problem.
In either case you decide to forgive because you
have had some practice with it and see the clear
benefit in your life.
This could emerge in as simple a situation as being
cut off by another car on the expressway or in a
complex situation like an affair in a marriage.
At this stage of forgiveness you are aware that the
length of time you experience a situation as a
 The Four Stages of Forgiveness

Step 4: involves the proactive choice to

rarely if ever take offense in the first place

This means you are prepared to forgive in

advance of a specific trigger.
This stage often emerges at the same time
as some or all of the following thoughts:

•I don't want to waste my precious life in the

discomfort caused by anger or hurt so I will decide to
feel differently. I am able to forgive myself, forgive
others, forgive life, and forgive God.

•I know how it hurts when people don't forgive me. I

do not want to hurt other people by my actions so I
will perceive the problem in a way that I can either
deal with it or let it go.
•Life is filled with incredible beauty and wonder and I
am missing these experiences if I am stuck in the
remembrance of old hurts or disappointments. I
forgive myself for getting sidetracked.

•People do the best they can and if they err the best
way to help them is by offering understanding. The
first step in this process is to forgive whatever
constituted the specific offense.

•Everyone, including myself operates primarily out of

self-interest. I must expect that some times I, in my
self-interest, will be annoyed by some one else's
expression of their self-interest. If I can understand
that this is an ordinary part of life, what is there to be
upset about? If I understand that self-interest is my
guiding principle, how can I not offer forgiveness to
•Everyone, including myself operates primarily out of
self-interest. I must expect that some times I, in my
self-interest, will be annoyed by some one else's
expression of their self-interest. If I can understand
that this is an ordinary part of life, what is there to be
upset about? If I understand that self-interest is my
guiding principle, how can I not offer forgiveness to
everyone, including myself for behaving that way?
These four steps to forgiveness will not be
followed in the same way by all people and
in all relationships.
There are some people for whom we feel
such love that we are almost always at
stage four: open hearted and ready to
forgive.
There are other people for whom we feel
so hurt and our well of good will for them
is so dry that we can spend years at stage
one.
What is critical to keep in mind is the role
of personal choice and the need to
exercise that choice to forgive so that we
can bring peace and healing into our
“Forgiveness is not about letting
them off the hook. It’s about
continuing on with our journey. It
frees up our soul, in a way. You
let go of the anger.”
-Paul Livingston
 “Most people think you are
forgiving the perpetrator and
they're off scot-free and you get
nothing. It's just the opposite.
When you forgive a person, you're
deciding to be freed.”
-Jim La Rue
Father of Molly LaRue whose body was found next to her
 “The weak can never
forgive. Forgiveness is the
attribute of the strong.”
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)
 “It really doesn't matter if the
person who hurt you deserves to
be forgiven.
Forgiveness is a gift you give
yourself.
You have things to do and you
want to move on.”
Anonymous author of
RealLivePreacher.com
 When there is no time, there is no wound.
Let go of the past, and you will have no
grievances. Time makes the wound seem
real. It makes all the changes that happen in
your life seem real. Yet none of these are
real.
If you could be without time for an instant,
you would understand your salvation. In that
timeless moment, nothing you have said or
done means anything. In that moment there
is nothing to own; no past, no future, no
identity.
This is the moment you inhabit all the time
without knowing it.
Imagine that:
 You are in heaven but heaven is not
acceptable to you. There is no need for
forgiveness in heaven. Why not? You ask.
Because no one in heaven is guilty. No one
who abides in the present moment has
committed a crime or a misthought. In
heaven there is nothing that need to be
fixed. In this moment also, there is nothing
that need to be fixed. Remember this, and
you are in the kingdom.
If you want to understand this you need to
practice the forgiveness process. Whenever
you think that someone or something is
wrong, forgive yourself for thinking that
LOVE WITHOUT CONDITIONS
thought. Whenever youReflections
think you are wrong,
of the Christ Mind
forgive yourself for thinking that thought.
By Paul Ferrini
Say to yourself: “this seems to be wrong, but
what do I know? I probably have something to
look at here that I don’t want to see. That’s
why I think its wrong, because I don’t want to
look at it.”
You have only one person to forgive in your
journey and that is yourself. You are the
judge. You are the jury. And you are the
prisoner. You are not guilty of any sin, my
brother. But you believe that you are. And
while you believe this, you will need
forgiveness. This is the only way out of your
self imposedLOVE WITHOUT CONDITIONS
illusion.
Reflections of the Christ Mind
By Paul Ferrini
 Your life has never been beyond the
reach of heaven, for heaven is here,
and heaven is now.
When you cease to impose your
meanings on what you see, your
spiritual eyes will open, and you will
see a world free of judgment and
shining in its endless beauty.

The prodigal son has returned home.

All the angels in heaven are rejoicing.
LOVE WITHOUT CONDITIONS
Reflections of the Christ Mind
By Paul Ferrini
 "If we really want to love
we must learn how to forgive"
“People ask me what advice I have for
a married couple struggling in their
relationship. I always answer: pray
and forgive. And to young people from
violent homes, I say pray and forgive.
And again even to the single mother
with no family support:
pray and forgive”
- Mother
Teresa
"I, even I, am He who blots out your
transgressions for My own sake;
and I will not remember your sins.
Put Me in remembrance; let us
contend together; state your case,
that you may be acquitted."
Isaiah
43:25-26

"Their sins and lawless acts I will

remember no more."

Hebrews 10:17
“The chemist who can extract
from his heart's elements
compassion, respect, longing,
patience, regret, surprise, and
forgiveness and compound
them into one can create that
atom which is called love.”

Kahlil Gibran
“To forgive is the highest, most
beautiful form of love.
In return, you will receive
untold peace and happiness.”
Robert Muller
Former Assistant Secretary General
to the United Nations
 What are you judgmental about?
It can be difficult for us to recognize or
accept that people we have problems with
are actually mirroring for us the disowned
parts of ourselves.
One simple way to tell is when you feel very
judgmental toward that person. Underneath,
you may be jealous.
Perhaps this person is expressing a kind of
energy that you hold back or don’t allow
yourself to express. They may be out of
balance in an opposite way from you.
It’s not necessary to become like they are or
go to an extreme. Just recognize that you
may need to allow yourself to develop a little
 Where in my life am I being
judgmental toward myself or
others?
How is that showing me a part
of myself that I don’t accept?
 Attention is the key to transformation
- and full attention also implies acceptance.
Nonforgiveness
is often toward another person or yourself, but it
may just as well be toward any situation or
condition - past, present or future - that your mind
refuses to accept.
Yes, there can be non-forgiveness even with
regard to the future.
This is the mind's refusal to accept uncertainty, to
accept that the future is ultimately beyond its
control.
 On Impermanence
Jesus' teaching:

"Do not lay up for

yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and
rust consume and where
thieves break in and
steal...."
 Buddhist monk: 'All I have learned in the
twenty years that I have been a monk I can
sum up in one sentence:
All that arises passes away. This I know."

What he meant: I have learned to offer no

resistance to what is;
I have learned to allow the present moment to
be and to accept the impermanent nature of all
things and conditions.
Thus have I found peace.
To offer no resistance to life is to be
in a state of grace, ease, and
lightness.

This state is then no longer

dependent upon things being in a
certain way, good or bad.
 It seems almost paradoxical,
yet when your inner dependency
on form is gone,

the general conditions of your life,

the outer forms, tend to improve
greatly.
Things, people, or conditions that
you thought you needed for your
happiness now come to you with
no struggle or effort on your part,
and you are free to enjoy and
appreciate them - while they last.

All those things, of course, will still

pass away, cycles will come and
go, but with dependency gone
there is no fear of loss anymore.
Life flows with ease.
First you stop judging yourself; then you
stop judging your partner.
The greatest catalyst for change in a
relationship is complete acceptance of
your partner as he or she is, without
needing to judge or change them in any
way.
That immediately takes you beyond ego.
All mind games and all addictive clinging
are then over.
There are no victims and no perpetrators
anymore, no accuser and accused.
This is also the end of all codependency,
of being drawn into somebody else's
unconscious pattern and thereby enabling
it to continue.
You will then either separate - in love - or
move ever more deeply into the Now
together - into Being.
 Can it be that simple?
Yes, it is that simple.
Love is a state of Being.
Your love is not outside;
it is deep within you.
You can never lose it,
and it cannot leave you.
It is not dependent on some other
body, some external form.
Love does not insist
on its own rights or its
own way, for it is not
self-seeking;
it is not touchy or
fretful;
it takes no account of
the evil done to it.
– 1 Corinthians 13:5
 The Meaning of Surrender
To some people, surrender may have negative
connotations, implying defeat, giving up, failing
to rise to the challenges of life, becoming
lethargic, and so on.

True surrender, however, is something entirely

different.
It does not mean to passively put up with
whatever situation you find yourself in and to
do nothing about it.
 Nor does it mean to cease making plans or
initiating positive action.
Surrender is the simple but profound
wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing
the flow of life.
The only place where you can experience the
flow of life is the Now, so to surrender is to
accept the present moment unconditionally
and without reservation.
It is to relinquish inner resistance to what is.
 Your self-image is
much like a self-
portrait; it is who and
what you picture
yourself to be, which
may or may not be an
accurate reflection of
who you really are.

Then God said,

“Let us make man in
our image, in our
likeness…”
 Learn to love yourself
as your Heavenly Father loves
you.

God has already approved

and accepted you.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

– Romans 8:31
If prayer is nothing more than yearning
of the heart, then yearn in prayer for
forgiveness.
You may have to do this again and
again, for the same issue, until the
energy is released. That’s fine.
We learn in finite measures, a step at a
time how to find compassion for others
and ourselves and then our hearts are
filled with love – for a minute, a day, a
season until we return and ask the
spirit to once again make us whole with
ourselves.
 When I can no longer stand
The flesh of my anger reddened and seething
Holding on to grievances and every
wrongdoing, and I am most in hatred,
I ask for rescue.
This is my prayer:
a journey where life flows through me,
felt and accepted, moving
like the turning seasons, the storm that
harms or nourishes
But passes.
 This is my prayer:
Grace with forgiveness,
an arrow shot through the storm to sun
and light.
Let me accept my journey.
Help me to live through this.
I may be asked to accept the unacceptable
and I don’t know how.
Help me.
As I live, I find a way.
 Release me from hurt.
Release me from feelings of revenge.
Release anger from my body.
Let me give this to You,
So I can be free.
Let my prayers take me deep into myself
So that I might find out
I possess exactly
What I desire.
“Do not judge,

and you will not be

judged.
Do not condemn,

and you will not be

condemned.

Forgive,

and you will be