Just For Today: September 7 - Resentment and forgiveness

[godsonmyside]

September 7

Resentment and forgiveness

"Where there has been wrong, the program teaches us the spirit of forgiveness."

Basic Text p.12


In NA, we begin to interact with the world around us. We no longer live in isolation. But freedom from isolation has its price: The more we interact with people, the more often we'll find someone stepping on our toes. And such are the circumstances in which resentments are often born.

Resentments, justified or not, are dangerous to our ongoing recovery. The longer we harbor resentments, the more bitter they become, eventually poisoning us. To stay clean, we must find the capacity to let go of our resentments, the capacity to forgive. We first develop this capacity in working Steps Eight and Nine, and we keep it alive by regularly taking the Tenth Step. Sometimes when we are unwilling to forgive, it helps to remember that we, too, may someday require another person's forgiveness. Haven't we all, at one time or another, done something that we deeply regretted? And aren't we healed in some measure when others accept our sincere amends?

An attitude of forgiveness is a little easier to develop when we remember that we are all doing the very best we can. And someday we, too, will need forgiveness.


Just for today: I will let go of my resentments. Today, if I am wronged, I will practice forgiveness, knowing that I need forgiveness myself.

pg. 261



Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

[Time2Surrender]

Originally Posted by godsonmyside

Sometimes when we are unwilling to forgive, it helps to remember that we, too, may someday require another person's forgiveness. Haven't we all, at one time or another, done something that we deeply regretted? And aren't we healed in some measure when others accept our sincere amends?

Not always easy for me but I am working on it.I do not want to go through my life holding grudges and resentmentments.

[Time4Change]

Wow! Not easy for me, either, T2S. It's ironic that this is today's Just For Today, because I just went through a situation where I was furious that someone in the program dropped the ball at chairing an important meeting on Saturday, so many women, including me, had to go without their NA women's meeting that we all absolutely love. I'm standing there 20 minutes before the meeting, outside the locked church, balancing the coffee urn and supplies in one hand and donuts in the other, only to get a phone call 10 minutes after the meeting was supposed to start that the chair person couldn't make it. I was embarrassed at my reaction. I wasn't compassionate at all. This person had dropped the ball many other times, and for me this was the final straw. I was cold and rude and very short with her on the phone. Now that it's Wednesday, I'm seeing that I survived without that meeting, my kids enjoyed the donuts, it took me one minute to repack the coffee urn in my car, and I went to a meeting the next day. Why did I react so badly? I really thought I had been implementing my new NA tools to my life. I guess it was God's way of showing me I need to work on my compassion and temper. I may need forgiveness and compassion from someone someday.

[weelcharboy]

[quote=godsonmyside]September 7

Resentment and forgiveness

An attitude of forgiveness is a little easier to develop when we remember that we are all doing the very best we can. And someday we, too, will need forgiveness.


I have encountered this very topic. After my breakup with my fience, I was bitter and held much resentment. I even catch myself doing it when I think of all of my stuff she kept. But I just figered its better to forgive and forget.

Thanks,
James aka weelcharboy

[Imagine]

"An attitude of forgiveness is a little easier to develop when we remember that we are all doing the very best we can. And someday we, too, will need forgiveness." Thanks for posting this Todd. I needed to read this today, and I'm printing out and hanging on the wall in the office for future refence. Turning my will and my life over to my HP has not let me down at all. Who would have thuck it.