A childhood friend of mine is struggling. He was wounded, and is recovering physically and emotionally. Someone told him he needs to forgive. She said to my friend, “Holding anger and grudges only destroys your own peace and God forgives us as we forgive others.” 

My friend told us, “I’m trying.”

Dear Friend, you are so beautifully gracious for trying.

Forgiveness is an act of extending compassion to another. We are told to forgive others, but the speaker forgets to stop and reflect on exactly how to do that. They’re skipping an important step. How can we extend Godly grace to another if we haven’t learned how to do that for ourselves?

We humans often need to practice self-compassion first. That self-compassion, patiently, lovingly given to ourselves, remembering that we are beautifully and perfectly loved, can often eventually expand to a level that can be extended to another.

So sorry you, and any of us, have to experience the things that require such hard lessons.

With loving kindness <3