Recovery Meditations: March 27th

Forgiveness

"To err is human, to forgive is divine."
Alexander Pope


When most of us first came into Program, we carried around a great deal of shame, guilt, and resentment. This made it very difficult for us to forgive ourselves, or others, for various past transgressions. We usually must rely on the forgiveness and support of other Program members before we come to a point of being able to truly forgive ourselves.

Coming to the point of self-forgiveness is a crucial step because once we have achieved it for ourselves, we can finally come to the stage of maturity to begin to forgive others. By offering true forgiveness we can begin to release the plethora of harbored resentments that have poisoned our souls and hindered our recovery for so many years.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will work towards learning to forgive myself so that I might eventually learn to forgive others.
~ Rob R.

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When I harbor unspoken resentment towards others, I am hurting myself and hindering my recovery.

'Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.'
~Nelson Mandela

Living with a poisoned soul for so many years has prevented me from issuing forgiveness.......for myself and others.  Dwelling on all the ways others have 'wronged' me, or I have wronged myself, only keeps me sick and practicing my compulsive overeating behaviors.

It's tough to truly forgive.  When I ask God to help me see someone's innocence instead of their guilt, I am better able to see their (and my own) light rather than darkness.

We are all God's children, and we deserve to be treated with loving kindness and compassion.  For today, I pray to view myself and others in the light of forgiveness and love.