The subject is FORGIVENESS.
I would like to share with all my fellow alcoholics and addicts the following, which I myself find to be very uplifting, true, encouraging and most of all, liberating.
This is an excerpt from a bestseller entitled "Illuminata - A Return to Prayer," written by one of the most wonderful, humble, gracious and wise women I have ever had the privilege to listen to. Her name is Marianne Williamson.
"God heals through forgiveness and asks that we do likewise. Attack is an easier response than forgiveness, and that is why we are so tempted to give into it. Throughout our lives, we have seen more anger than examples of TRUE forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean we suppress our anger; forgiveness means that we have asked for a miracle; the ability to see through the mistakes that someone has made to the truth that lies in all of our hearts. None of this "I'm too spiritual to be angry," for who among us is? Rather, we pray, "I am angry, dear God. But I am willing not to be. I am willing to see this situation another way."
"Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one who inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness."
This is her simple, yet profound, prayer to God, which you and I may use freely anytime, anywhere, any place we need to:
"Dear God. There is someone whom I very much dislike. Dear God, please help me. I surrender You all my thoughts of this person's guilt. I allow myself to fully feel my pain, my sense of violation. My fear is that this person will hurt me again. I take these feelings and place them in Your hands. I cannot do this for myself, dear Lord. In spite of my pain, in spite of my resistance, I pray for this person. I am willing to have a miracle. I am willing to forgive. I need Your strength to do so. I surrender this person to You. I surrender my pain to You. Heal this person. Heal me."
