THE LAST RITUAL...

The festive season is at its peak as businesses are shutting down, last shopping is being done and beehives of activities all around as the year packs its bag. Let’s not close the box without strapping its content. It’s that solemn moment when you look around to ensure you are leaving nothing out before closing the box. Let’s perform the last ritual as we celebrate this season…the ritual of forgiveness. Yes! It is a ritual performed with the aim of finding peace of mind, enhancing our spiritual growth and living life to the fullest. It’s time to let go of all the hurts. Unforgiveness can only ruin our health and hold us back from all the good we might desire, achieve and experience. One of the qualities of the strong is the ability to forgive. It is a divine attribute. But we find it difficult to exercise due to the depth of the harm done or extent of the pain felt, most especially, when we are betrayed with a kiss(from loved one).

 As old as they have gotten, as stale as the arguments are now, as grave as the predicaments may have caused or cost you, it’s time to go back to them and fix it. You have to resolve the differences you have with your offenders. Release them in forgiveness not because they deserve it or their acts are justifiable but for the sake of you-your body, your soul and your spirit. It is not enough to pray about it or whisper forgiving words in your closet. Reach out to them-via text messages, calls, emails or visits. You must ensure you forgive them and they too should forgive you. Oh yea! You too may have had some issues they had to deal with…you don’t have to be one-sided. Don’t fix it for a selfish motive… doing it because you want something from them (favour). Forgive with the consciousness that there was once a good time when your paths crossed. They may also have personal issues they are dealing with that you or no-one knows about, so the best you can do for them is to take out your own issues from them.  Maybe it’s you-…blaming yourself for what has or should have happened. ‘’Forgive yourself for your faults and mistakes and move on’’ says Les Brown.

‘’To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it’’ says Confucius. Many people say ‘’I have forgiven you but I won’t forget’’. The fact is that when we do not eliminate the underlying sentiments and perception we have attached to the hurt we cannot forget it. And when we do not forget, we let the negative feelings be a part of us. ‘’I can forgive but I cannot forget is only another way of saying ‘I will not forgive’. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note torn in two and burned up so that it never can be shown against one’’ says an anonymous writer.

God forgives you every time you offend Him. He gives you another chance and expects you to appreciate it by doing same to others and not act like the ungrateful servant, in the scriptures, that refused to forgive the debts of the one who owed him after his own debts had been forgiven.  

Start making those harmonious connections NOW! Choose to enter the New Year with a clean slate.

Let the ritual of forgiveness usher in all the good things we desire henceforth.