Forgiveness or Thank You?

I just finished A Service of Gratitude tonight.  What a lovely turnout of people.  It is such a blessing for me to see people coming to the Center early to just sit in the quiet energy of the space.  It is exactly what I wanted to create in this community.

I shared a message of gratitude tonight.  As I was preparing today for what I was going to say, a thought kept ringing in my head.  When I am home on a Sunday morning, I watch Joel Osteen deliver his message.  In my mind, he and I are great friends…someday!   As he was speaking, he said something about forgiving people who have hurt us.  That line kept going over and over in my mind.  And then, the lightbulb went on as to why that wasn’t sitting right with me.  If we believe that people have hurt us, we have become a victim to our story about that person and what they have done to us.  It puts us in a place of dis-empowerment, blame and judgment.  People are merely being people and behaving how they choose to behave.  That is none of our business how they behave,  or what they think of us.  That is their business.

So do we need to forgive or should we rather say Thank You?  I know this is hard to comprehend for some, however, if we merely see the situation as it is, there is no victimization in place.  What would we possibly need to forgive them for?  They are simply being a wonderful teacher for us if we can stop and recognize that.  Thank them for pointing out to you what you still need to work on.  The energy that you hold in your body around the lesson can be freed with those two little words.  Anytime you feel a victim, you are being presented with an opportunity to learn.  Say Thank You to this person and move on.  No need to dwell in the house of judgment and pain.

As we get ready to gather with our families and friends, there may be someone present who you can use as a practice subject for this lesson.  If your tendency is to avoid them, try to face them.  Stand before them in your empowerment and see the situation in reality, instead of in your past story of it.  Send them love and thank them.  The more you practice this lesson, the easier it is to live in this world with gratitude.

I mentioned tonight some armor you can take with you into your perceived battle.  Simply say to yourself “Of course everyone loves me.  They just don’t know it yet.”

Have a blessed holiday season and enjoy the time with your family.  I feel so blessed to be where I am in my life and to be able to support so many people on their journey.  Merry Christmas.

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The Tree of Gratitude

Attendees at A Service of Gratitude completed cards of gratitude to hang on the trees at the Center.  The cards are available through January 1 for you to complete if you come to the Center.  The cards will then be removed from the tree and remembered in my daily prayers.  [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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