One day I was asked if I would forgive
By someone who had wounded my very soul.
The hurtful actions had shattered my heart
In the form of deceit and the lies that were told.

My anger lashed out with fervor and force
To protect the wounds of ego and pride
I could not contain the hurt I felt
Nor the mournful sorrow I suffered inside.

How can I forgive, am I expected to forget
These appalling deeds directed at me?
And if I forgive, will it happen again
Just how vulnerable must I be?

I could not sleep, I could not eat
I carried this anger bold and brave
"I had been wronged; had been deceived"
 The anger validation had all been saved.

But I soon grew tired and weary of heart
With the anger becoming a heavy load
I prayed to God and humbly said,
"I am hurting; please help me down this road."

He said, "You must forgive . . . "
"Me, forgive?  But it was I who was wronged!"
"But my child, you are the burdened one
While the other stays healthy and strong."

"Forgiveness is for you, and you alone
For you are the one carrying the load
When you forgive, your burden will lift
And you will travel light again upon the road."

~ StinaLisa ~
©Copyright 2000

I've learned that forgiveness is something we must do for ourselves when we have allowed ourselves to be hurt by another's actions. Forgiveness is a part of our healing process, not theirs; to rid ourselves of our excess baggage - the anger, the hurt and the pain. Once we forgive, our burden will be lifted and we can once again move on with our lives.

Forgiveness is to acknowledge that the other person did commit an offense against us, for if they did not, we would have nothing to forgive. Too often we try to justify another's actions, therefore dismissing their offensive deeds, and as a result, forgiveness can not take place. We then bury the hurt and pain which will more than likely show up again, perhaps at a different time and in another form.

Forgiveness is also recognizing that "to forgive" does not mean "to forget".  In all reality, we will never forget.  Instead, we can learn to let go of the anger associated with the action we have forgiven.  If possible, we can use this experience as a learning tool to prevent the same action from taking place again; just another lesson we have learned on our path through life.  It's just getting down to the "heart of the matter".

~ StinaLisa ~

"Life & Inspiration Index"

"Forever Young"		"From A Distance"

If you have the time, stop by my home on the web,
have a cup of coffee, and see a list of my other web pages.
Please sign my Guestbook so I know you've stopped by.
Thanks!
~ StinaLisa ~

     

   

"The Heart Of The Matter"
Words & Music by Mike Campbell, J. D. Souther & Don Henley
Recorded by Don Henley in 1989

"The Heart Of The Matter"

I got the call today, that I didn’t want to hear
But I knew that it would come
Old true friend of ours was talking on the phone
She said you found someone.

And I thought of all the bad luck
And struggles we went through
How I lost me and you lost you.

What are these voices outside loves open door
Make us throw of our contentment
And beg for something more.

I’m learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
And the more I know, less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I’m learning again.

I’ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter.

But I think it's about forgiveness, forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore.

All these times are so uncertain
Though the yearning undefined
And then people filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age.

The trust and self-assurance that leads to happiness
Were the very things we kill, I guess

Our pride and competition
Can not fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us
You know it doesn’t keep me warm.

I’m learning to live without you now
But I miss you baby
And the more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I figured out
I have to learn again.

I’ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter.

But I think its about forgiveness, forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore.

The music playing is a condensed version of "The Heart Of The Matter", and is for entertainment, educational and evaluation purposes only. Titles have full copyright by their respective artists and record companies. Please show your support for the artists who gave us this great music by purchasing their CDs.

If you are interested in purchasing a full version of  "The Heart Of The Matter" by Don Henley.  I have provided a link below to Amazon.com. They sell both new and used CDs. I have purchased many used CDs for my web pages and have never had a problem. Amazon also sells MP3 downloads in several categories with single songs ranging from 89 to 99 cents.

Thank you.

 
Danny Hahlbohm "Nothing Is Impossible"
http://www.inspired-art.com

February 2000