The Process of Forgiveness

Life tends to provide countless opportunities to both forgive and be forgiven. We all have made decisions that have hurt another and have also been on the receiving end of feeling pain. Through these situations, we each have had to choose to say or accept hearing the words, "I forgive you"!

Have you ever felt that you either said these words too quickly or maybe chose to hear them before they fully held truth? I know that there have been times in my life that I wanted to feel forgiveness for another or be forgiven because I really wanted the depth of the pain associated with a situation to simply go away. I believed that if I even superficially felt the beginning of forgiveness (whether accepting or giving) that the process was complete.

However, I have learned something when I count on my very "cerebral" way of thinking: My mind may be telling me that the process is complete, but my cells and my gut have something very different to say. I am strongly reminded of this when my cells produce dreams that tell me that I am still working through something or a song, a scent or a place churns my gut.

I also have learned that my body and mind are allowing forgiveness when the dreams and thoughts are fewer and farther between. I also know that I am well into the process when a song, scent or place makes me smile with good memories.

Please know that during the process, love can continue to exist. It may look and feel different and it may even call for protection and ask for time to allow the necessary healing for true forgiveness to occur. Whatever the signs, we must honor them to avoid hindering the process and causing yet another situation that will call for further forgiveness.

Are you experiencing a situation that calls for either giving or receiving forgiveness? If so, allow the process to unfold one healing moment at a time!

Here is to honoring our cells,
Dr Lorri