If you’re new here, the last five posts have been addressing each line of our Family Creed. Only two more to go, and each one is so powerful to me! For today, the creed is “We Believe…in the power of forgiveness to heal, and the power of love to carry through.”
This is a perfect one to address considering the podcast we just did last week on the ConnieAndSheila Talk Podcast. Based on the previous blogpost here, we were asked on the show to address the topic “I Am So Unique“. Not only does this podcast really hit on the power of love and acceptance, but also on how the uniqueness in each of us strengthens all of us, like I’ve stated before.
During one of their previous podcasts, they interviewed my brother and sister-in-love, Jared and Ilea Angaza. Their podcast was on “Living without Electricity…but Lots of Energy“. Each week Connie and Sheila start it off with powerful quotes, and the one that really hit me in this interview was:
“Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering – – remembering and not using your right to hit back. It’s a second chance for a new beginning. And the remembering part is particularly important. Especially if you don’t want to repeat what happened.”
~ Desmond Tutu
Wow–how incredible. When we talk about the power of forgiveness to heal, we’re not saying you have to forget it, or act like it doesn’t hurt. Remember it, address the pain and/or anger, and then take the next step: heal. When I was in college I studied The Work by Byron Katie. If you’ve never seen this, check out the process at the link above–it’s free. It really hit home for me – we’ve all been hurt by someone, and sometimes the hurt is so strong we come to identify the person by this one action. We let it brew and fester and become a sore spot, or we write off the feeling completely and don’t pay attention to the person or the pain…thus potentially missing out on an important lesson or relationship.
I ask that you listen to the podcast “I Am So Unique” for a few reasons. First, you’ll get the back story on Nathan and me and this wonderful thing we call our life. Second, we talk about forgiveness and grace, and lastly, we address the topic of Love in a controversial why by talking about Rob Bell’s newest book, Love Wins. (I’ve got to warn you…there were a few tech glitches and you’ll hit some dead spots in the podcast. Bear with it–we pick it back up. Just think of them as “moments of reflection” times!”)
Everyone who reads this has their own perspective on life. We each bring our own beliefs and opinions, and I’m not asking you to think like me. I am, however, challenging all of you to just love first. I’m pretty sure that comes before judgement everywhere but in the alphabet. At least I hope so. My final thoughts…this world is big and beautiful – we have the chance to experience our closest understanding of heaven on this earth merely by embracing these two powers–forgiving and loving first.
What do you think?
