Forgiveness is not optional! The only person we hurt when we withhold forgiveness is ourselves. Our inability to forgive will keep us stuck and sick. The opposite of forgiveness is resentment and blame. These are two of the lowest vibrational states we can be in.
Forgiveness doesn't mean condoning another person's destructive or abusive behavior. It is accepting that behavior for what it is and releasing it to the light. The Hebrew word for forgiveness is to "drop it". By releasing our resentment, pain and hurt, we allow ourselves to step into the highest vibrations of gratitude, charity, peace and love of Christ.
Christ was the ultimate example of forgiveness. When he hung on the cross after having been wrongfully accused, beaten and sentenced to a gruesome death by crucifixion , he proclaimed to the Father, "Forgive them for they know not what they do."
With every difficult challenge, there is always a silver lining. It is important during the process of healing, to look at the person we have become because of the challenging experience. We have become stronger, more compassionate, more capable of succoring those who also suffer.
We can even go so far as to be grateful for the role a particular person played in our lives to enable us to emerge into the person we were meant to become and step into our higher selves. Forgiveness is a bridge that allows us to move into that direction.
Remember, forgiving ourselves is an important step in this process. Acknowledge every good thing you do, be gentle with your tender spirits, and know that you are in the process of "Becoming".
