FORGIVE????????
shadowkid,
I do not feel you to be a bad person. You are not and perhaps never will be in the same place that others here are or will be. That does not say anything bad about you. It only says you are not in the same place they are.
I'm not saying that anyone here is doing this, but the human tendency is to believe that what works for me will work for everyone else therefore the person who doesn't do it the way I do it is wrong and is somehow less as an individual.
I've seen it happen time after time by people from every walk of life. Christian or atheist, democrat or republican, liberal or conservative, male or female, there is a certain portion of society who tries to impose their own code on their fellow travelers and it simply does not work and is wrong.
For me, the rule of thumb I use when it comes to the subject of forgiveness is to question if the feelings I'm holding regarding an individual are harming me and my walk in life. I've found that bitterness and hatred are poison to me. I hate what taxi guy did to me. I always will, but at some point in the last couple of years I let the bitterness and hatred go.
Does that mean I've forgiven him? I don't see it that way, but maybe I have. I do know that in order for me to progress any further in my recovery I had to let it go. If he were to suddenly appear in my life today I'd do what I could to get him convicted and put away for as long as possible because I believe it's my civic duty to do so. Even then, for my own good I cannot see myself bringing back the bitterness and hate into my life.
But that's me. For me to tell you that you must do the same is absurd. I may or may not believe you should, but that is not mine to say. It's yours and you will cross that bridge if and when you are ready to.
Lots of love,
John
I do not feel you to be a bad person. You are not and perhaps never will be in the same place that others here are or will be. That does not say anything bad about you. It only says you are not in the same place they are.
I'm not saying that anyone here is doing this, but the human tendency is to believe that what works for me will work for everyone else therefore the person who doesn't do it the way I do it is wrong and is somehow less as an individual.
I've seen it happen time after time by people from every walk of life. Christian or atheist, democrat or republican, liberal or conservative, male or female, there is a certain portion of society who tries to impose their own code on their fellow travelers and it simply does not work and is wrong.
For me, the rule of thumb I use when it comes to the subject of forgiveness is to question if the feelings I'm holding regarding an individual are harming me and my walk in life. I've found that bitterness and hatred are poison to me. I hate what taxi guy did to me. I always will, but at some point in the last couple of years I let the bitterness and hatred go.
Does that mean I've forgiven him? I don't see it that way, but maybe I have. I do know that in order for me to progress any further in my recovery I had to let it go. If he were to suddenly appear in my life today I'd do what I could to get him convicted and put away for as long as possible because I believe it's my civic duty to do so. Even then, for my own good I cannot see myself bringing back the bitterness and hate into my life.
But that's me. For me to tell you that you must do the same is absurd. I may or may not believe you should, but that is not mine to say. It's yours and you will cross that bridge if and when you are ready to.
Lots of love,
John