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Title: Forgiveness breaks the yoke of Bitterness!!
Category: dont know
Blog Entry: Today, I woke up wanting to pour battery acid on someone's truck because yesterday I was cursed for everything I was worth and slapped in the face with some of the cruelest words you can think of. It made me cry, and I was extremely angry!!!!Why did that person do it?  My best guess is that It all happened because I told this person I can no longer have them associated with my life because we're just not going the same direction. He threw a fit!!! And I didn't sleep so today, I am  a full blown grouch!!!First of all I thought what he did was TOTALLY out of line, and so 4th grade. However what he did to me I thought personally  he just showed his true colors. I have a point with this story, so just stay with me. I should have known better though because I've heard him speak of other people in such a derogatory manner in the past it hurt my feelings for them.So all that transpired resulted in that lovely feeling called Bitterness. It crept up and knocked me in my head like a baseball bat. What he did yesterday to me opened up so many wounds that I really didn't think were there. A lot of pent up anger surfaced and the thoughts that ran through my mind were not good and thus far I have been on a man hating ride that has jerked me about like the Texas Giant at 6 Flags in Arlington Texas. However, here is the flip side.If I happy to talk in circles I apologize but I know for sure I am not the only one who deals with bitterness towards a person who has done some damage. I stayed up until 1 am Sunday night talking with a person who is having a very hard time forgiving someone else for their past, what has happened, and how it hurt them. Bitterness is just one of those crazy, crappy things that is like a seed. If you don't watch out It is planted and things that happen in life can water that seed.It grows and if you are not careful not only will it contaminate your mind, but it will affect your physical well being, and your life and if you let it go too far, destroy you.  I heard  a true story of a man that he was so bitter it literally became toxic to his body.For 30 years He held so much anger and bitterness against one person inside to when he finally did forgive the source that caused his bitterness (which come to find out that person was NOT responsible for the situation), he then lost all control of his bodily functions. He vomited, lost control of his bowels, and urninated all at the same time. I'm sorry to be so graphic but that's how much the bitterness had affected him.  On the personal side of myself, It has taken me nearly 8 months to forgive one preson for all the pain he put me through for nearly 2 years. Those of you that have read my "break up story" might get a tiny insight about it. That story would take up my whole page...so just to spare you the details it was  just the basic outline of it :) So, what did I do? My first reaction was to stew over the hot mess but I made a decision that every time I felt that anger, bitterness, pain, and the feeling that I was suffocating because of it all...I had to envision in my mind that I held the situation in my hands, and that I released it along with those feelings. It's kind of like washing your hands with Tide laundry detergent after you work on a car and you get that black grease on you..so is bitterness like the grease on the hands of your soul. Every time you feel that stuff come back up break out that detergent, clean your hands and release that along with the words "I don't agree with what he/she did to me. It hurts, and I'm angry. But, I wll forgive them even if they never apologize"By doing that you will find that it will kill that seed. For those of you who read your Bible,  Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?" Jesus answered, "No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.....Ok who wants to forgive someone for hurting them 77 freaking times? Yeah not me to be quite honest about it....but why should I expect someone to forgive me for something If I can not forgive another? I will only do damage to my own life. It takes alot like pushing our pride out of the way is one way to start....And besides,Karma isn't very kind....we aallll know that. Or for a better term "You reap what you sow" **ouch**I want to forgive even though it hurts so that seed of bitterness will not destroy me. I refuse to be intimidated by the things that people do to try to tear me down and hurt me. Further more, I can not compare someone else to another because I was hurt once, twice, or like some of you out there more than a person deserves to be.But to all of you who have that bitterness inside that seems to fester and be infected like a bad wound...I offer you this challenge. Every day from now on that you wake up...Look into the mirror, Open your mouth, and Speak the strength into your life to forgive that guy or girl who hurt you, and envision that heavy yoke being lifted off from your mind, heart, and soul. You have the power of life or death in your mouth. Out of the mouth so the heart speaks. You can choose be be angry, bitter, and bound by the chains and the yoke of bitterness or, you can forgive, be released, and experience the feeling of not having that thorn in your flesh.  What do you do when you get a thorn or a splinter in your hand? You pluck it out with tweezers so your skin will not become infected and you won't be in pain. To me it is the Same scenario with forgiveness(the tweezers) and bitterness (the thorn/splinter)I promise you that there is a lot more freedom in forgiveness!!!But only you can make that choice in your life!!