Softening
The Grasshopper seems to come out to play when he’s on an airplane. Such was the case when he served as flight attendant and gave me this:
“A calcified heart has no room for forgiveness.”
Hardening of the arteries is something that science is working on but hardening of the heart is not on its radar screen. Such an oversight!
Whether it’s an elongated grudge, feud, war or spat, the result is always the same – the heart hardens.
The downside is the hardening happens for all parties engaged in conflict. It’s the silent killer of forgiveness.
As stated on numerous occasions, I don’t believe that you have the power to forgive anyone. Forgiveness, like the concept of grace, arrives when it arrives. It’s a gift, not a commodity that you keep on the shelf to parcel out when you deem it necessary.
You have to be open for forgiveness to flow. You can preach forgiveness from atop Mount Everest and no one receives the message, including you, if you’re hanging on to bitterness.
There has to be an opening in order for forgiveness to work its softening miracle.
How do we open up to forgiveness? It’s simpler than it seems. We just have to be open to the idea.
Let’s face it, what is your grudge other than an idea that you’re open to? What if you decided to be open to forgiveness?
In the past, the concept never even got to the negotiating table and the hardening got worse. What if it now becomes an agenda item? The chances for it happening have just increased. There is no chance if it’s not allowed in the meeting room.
Here’s a crazy notion: Open yourself up to the idea of forgiveness and see what happens.
You may just find a soft spot in your heart for this idea.
All the best,
John
http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnmorgan
http://www.cafepress.com/grasshoppernote/3580301
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