Day 4 Choosing to make peace

          About six months ago, someone who had deeply hurt me wrote me a letter apologizing to me. I wrote them back thanking them for writing me, and telling them that I was proud of them for the steps that they were taking to make amends and turn their life around. At that time, I stopped short of saying the healing words that I forgive you, or that it was okay. It still didn't feel okay to me. I thought that forgiveness would mean that it no longer hurt. I recently wrote this person, and told him that I accepted his apology and that I forgave him. Forgiveness is a choice. The decision to make peace with a person is a choice. Choosing to make peace with this person has given me freedom. I am not carrying the weight of my past around any more. Any time that a sad or scary memory comes to mind I can feel the emotion of that memory and then turn it back over to God. Through the act of making peace, I can leave my past in the past, and be fully in the moment with my children and other family members. I am no longer chained to my past. Have you ever had to chose to make peace with someone? How did this decision impact you and your loved ones?




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