This is the story of a collection of people who follow Jesus. We live in Littleton. We encounter people in the name of Jesus, we allow Jesus to turn us into disciples, we gather often, and we equip people to love and serve other people better.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Forgiveness quotes from a FB wall

This longer post was posted by John N Veronica - I found it was just what I needed this morning. I am including the whole post without edits.

http://facebook.com/john.veronica

When somebody has hurt you . . .

Don’t curse it

Don’t nurse it

Don’t rehearse it.

Instead, disperse it . . . and God will reverse it!

That means don’t complain about it, don’t think about it over and over, and don’t constantly talk about how hurt you are to other people. When you’re hurt or offended, give it to God and let Him deal with it, and He will.
~ Rena Treadaway Morgan

Forgive YOURSELF, too! It's a great way to practice forgiveness with the dual aim of also becoming proficient at forgiving others. Below are some relevant sayings harvested from Warren Aldrich, my New Hampshire pal, and others:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage. How are we to be patient in dealing with our neighbors faults if we are impatient in dealing with our own? He who is fretted with his own failings will not correct them. All profitable correction comes from a calm, peaceful mind. Do not lose courage in considering your our imperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin anew. ~ St. Francis de Sales

"[Ragamuffins] are not saints, but they seek spiritual growth. They accept counsel and constructive criticism with ease. They stumble often, but they do not spend endless hours in self-recrimination. They quickly repent, offering the broken moment to the Lord. Their past has been crucified with Christ and no longer exists, except in the deep recesses of eternity.” ~ Brennan Manning

When You Don't Forgive...
...It's like wearing dark sunglasses that distort everything you see. You also want everyone else to see through these glasses. Forgiveness is taking those glasses off. Not forgiving is like carrying heavy suitcases full of books through an airport. Forgiving is putting the suitcases down and walking away without them. It is lightening up. It is being able to enjoy your life, laugh again, and see the beauty in others. When you cannot forgive yourself, you cannot forgive others. When you cannot forgive others, you cannot forgive yourself. The dynamic of forgiveness is the same in both cases.

When You Forgive...
...You lighten your load. Not forgiving is like wearing dark sunglasses that gruesomely distort all that you see, and you want others to see through the same glasses. When you forgive, it is like leaving behind a heavy weight. Imagine that you are trying to walk through an airport while carrying a heavy suitcase in each hand with another strapped over your shoulder and another on your back like a backpack. It is difficult and painful work to go anywhere. Forgiving is putting down all of your baggage and leaving it behind. You travel lightly. It has nothing to do with worthiness—yours or others'. You and they are both worthy. That is not the issue. The issue is whether you wish to continue to carry your baggage. ~ Gary Zukav

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. ~ Max Ehrmann

Posted via email from Mark Kraakevik

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