CHAINS STRONGER THAN STEEL

         When we harbor resentment, we slowly die spiritually. Fortunately through forgiveness we are reborn. Nurturing resentment binds us to the object of our ire by a mental chain stronger than steel. Holding on to resentment is like having a cut on your arm that never heals. Every time it begins to heal we scratch at it until it bleeds again, pointing it out to any who will listen, reliving the injury. Living in the injury is slow insidious spiritual suicide; we must turn away from our injury and allow it to heal. How? We decide finally and forever to forgive, with God’s help, the cause of the resentment by naming them and asking God to do for them everything good that we wish to have happen in our life. Visualize them receiving God’s grace, His peace upon them. In time a scar will form but resentments are tenacious and our subconscious mind will whisper that perhaps we should scratch it again, just in case. Do not react negatively when these thoughts surface, but turn in prayer immediately and thank God for knowing Him better, that you and the author of the resentment are free. Do not for a moment rehash the memory of the hurt; focus only on seeing the Presence of God where the hurt was. Having just begun incorporating this new way of thinking into our life, eventually it will become second nature, we do not berate ourselves when we discover we have drifted into morbid reflection examining an old scar, instead we quietly turn to God in prayer. As with all things spiritual (and life as well) condemnation stunts growth, so we are always gentle in prayer, especially with ourselves, praying with a “feather.”