It's Just Life

  • Home
  • About
  • Comments for a Cause
  • Tea and Teapots
  • Books
  • Travel
  • Writing
  • Recipes
  • Products
November 12, 2018

Forgiveness – A Personal Journey

15 Comments/ 69/ 1

Forgiveness.

Sometimes forgiveness is difficult and when it comes to forgiving myself I find that I am horrible at it.

Events that happen, things I have said, actions that I have done that have not been received well or have been inadequate haunt me.  I know that I am hard on myself. The things that I find hard to forgive in myself are usually basically insignificant things to others.  They seem to be able to brush them off after my apology and move on.  But not me.

I play the scenes back in my mind time and time again.  I vividly recall something that happened probably 20 years ago where I shared something with a man who was in the hospital.  I thought he knew his diagnosis of pneumonia because the family had been very open about his illness.  He didn’t.  While it did not end the world I felt horrible and stammered around saying I had probably misunderstood.  Ugh. See what I mean?  That memory stays with me because it is just not in my nature to hurt someone.

I try to temper my words.

I try to think before I speak and even more so with my actions.

Because once those words or actions are out there- there is nothing you can do about them.  They are there.

Social media is a tricky place at times because it is so public.  When I started this blog I put limitations on myself on what I would share and what I wouldn’t share in this space.  Not everything needs to be shared.  I try to show some common sense when I write in this public space because I know that anyone has access to this blog.  I make it public every time I hit the publish button.

I would never want to share something that would hurt a friend or a family member.  If someone hurts someone I love the Mama Bear in me comes out.  You mamas out there know what I mean.  Those are the most difficult times for me to find forgiveness.  But you know what?  I do because I can’t possibly understand what is in someone else’s heart when they say or do something that hurts one of my loved ones.  I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt even when it is really difficult.

But the self forgiveness?  That continues to be a struggle for me.  My heart hurts when I realize that I have hurt another person.  So I continue to try to seek forgiveness for myself and move on.  I know God made my heart to be tender and compassionate and I think that is why I struggle with this.

I found this amazing thing called The Forgiveness Project.  

The focus of The Forgiveness Project is to share stories of forgiveness in order to build hope, empathy and understanding.  Our stories have the power to transform and change others and through this project I found so much hope and strength.  I hope you will make time to check it out sometime.  I think it will really touch your heart.


Don’t forget to leave me a comment for Comments for a Cause.

Share:
Tags:
forgiveness giving and receiving forgiveness personal journey The Forgiveness Project
← Previous A Night Out on the Town – Greenville, South Carolina
Next → Feeling Grateful on Teapot Tuesday

Related Articles

  • You Are An Original

  • Take Heart, My Friends

  • Hard Times

  • I Can’t Have Pretty Things – Edition 535

  • Forgotten Words

15 Comments

Leave a comment
  1. Dianna
    November 12, 2018 at 07:01 am

    Yes, it’s your tender heart that makes it so difficult for you to forgive yourself. The Forgiveness Project sounds very interesting. I’ll definitely visit the site.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 12, 2018 at 07:03 am

      Thanks, Dianna! Isn’t it funny how we are all made and how some things just roll right off of other people and don’t even cause them a second thought and then there are others like me who take everything so much to heart? I guess it is a good thing we are not all alike. Hopping over to see how your weekend was!

      Reply
  2. jena c. henry
    November 12, 2018 at 08:08 am

    Thanks for sharing- about yourself and about The Forgiveness Project. I did click over and I looked at the first page and I bookmarked it for later review. Quote amazing and comprehensive.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 12, 2018 at 08:45 am

      Well you are very welcome. I think I have always been really hard on myself–that is just the way it has always been but I am working on it. You would think after 58 years I would be better at it. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Darlene
    November 12, 2018 at 08:36 am

    When I once read about a woman who forgave the killer of her husband and visited schools spreading the word about the power of forgiveness, I realized we are all capable of forgiveness, even of ourselves. The Forgiveness Project is a great site. xo

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 12, 2018 at 08:44 am

      Now that is forgiveness. Can you imagine? But I think that is the only way you could ever move on from something like that. You have to dig deep and find that place of forgiveness. Thanks, Darlene. I needed to read that!

      Reply
  4. Mama's Empty Nest
    November 12, 2018 at 08:50 am

    Definitely will check out that sight. I’m like you; I try so hard not to hurt anyone with my words and actions and if I inadvertently do so, I feel absolutely horrible and apologize over and over again.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 12, 2018 at 09:00 am

      We are so much alike in that respect. I know it is not always my “fault” but I take it to heart like you do. I am learning that I need to dial that back and realize that one sincere apology should cover it!

      Reply
  5. ozzieohlonemanthinktank
    November 12, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    Forgiveness is such a personal journey. Total forgiveness is nearly impossible. Sometimes we just have to find it within ourselves to find some semblance of forgiveness and move on knowing that time might bring closure or lessen the hurt. I struggle with total forgiveness and still am haunted by a few extremely personal and painful things that have etched a scar deep in my heart, mind and spirit. I know that I am deeply flawed by these but I just can’t seem to put them aside after all the years. Hopefully God will understand and forgive me.

    Reply
  6. Shirley Matthews Dunn
    November 12, 2018 at 07:06 pm

    I truly can relate with forgiving yourself. Beth Ann. I struggle with that too even knowing the Lord has already forgiving me. Sometimes .my mouth does not work with my brain. It truly is a personal journey. Looking forward to reading the forgiveness page.

    Reply
  7. susi_snaps
    November 12, 2018 at 08:10 pm

    My motto has always been “forgive but not forget”. I’m probably hardest on myself, as I’m sure many of us are.
    I will definitely check out the forgiveness project…

    Reply
  8. Virginia
    November 13, 2018 at 08:23 am

    Forgiveness is such a freeing thing! And love and mercy and grace! I know that feeling, Beth and I still cringe over things done and/or left undone. I love you and I love your heart.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 14, 2018 at 07:31 am

      Isn’t it just like us to be hard on ourselves? I try to think before I speak but it does not always happen. Love you back, my friend.

      Reply
  9. priscillaking
    November 14, 2018 at 10:57 am

    If for some unimaginable reason people had failed to tell me that I had pneumonia, and I was conscious enough to hear someone finally say it, I think I’d be overwhelmed with RELIEF. “Thank God it’s only pneumonia. The way everyone was tiptoeing around I thought it was something fatal!” I think there’s more to your story than you’re telling, but it may be time to give yourself a break.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 14, 2018 at 04:46 pm

      He was an elderly gentleman and I think they were trying to protect him but of course I felt like I had let the cat out of the bag. I know it was not something that I could have known that he didn’t know and it was all very innocent but he was so taken aback when I told him that I immediately wished I had not said it. It taught me a valuable lesson — let the other person tell you what is going on and don’t say too much!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

  • Subscribe To Rss Feed
  • 2,256 Followers
  • 2,272 Fans
  • Followers
  • Subscribers
  • Subscribers
  • Follow It's Just Life

Comments For A Cause

  • Comments for a Cause – More Literacy, Please!

  • Comments for a Cause – July 2022 Edition

  • Comments for a Cause- Giving to Uvalde

  • It’s May – Time for Comments for a Cause

  • Comments for a Cause – Reece’s Rainbow

  • Comments for a Cause – Help for Ukraine

  • Powering Up with Comments for a Cause

  • Comments for a Cause – Cats, Cats, and More Cats

  • Comments for a Cause – Alzheimer’s Association

  • Comments for a Cause – A Roof Over Their Heads

  • Comments for a Cause – A Celebrity Cause

  • Comments for a Cause – Giving Help Where Needed

  • Comments for a Cause – College Loyalty

  • Comments for a Cause – Saving Sight Through Research and Education

  • A Reason for Jubilee – Comments for a Cause

Check Out My Past Posts

August 2022
S M T W T F S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Jul    

Text

Follow

Pinterest

Visit Beth Ann's profile on Pinterest.

Beth's bookshelf: read

The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users
5 of 5 stars
The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users
by Guy Kawasaki
As always Guy Kawasaki has a great book with great information about all things social media. I highlighted tons of places in this book and it is definitely one that I will come back to time and time again to help me in all of the socia...
Old Girls in Low Cotton
3 of 5 stars
Old Girls in Low Cotton
by Helen Childress
This short book was one that looked like it would be a fun read. I honestly did not enjoy it all that much---it was a lot of characters bickering and while some of the writing was witty and funny it was not that kind of book that made m...
The Good Girl
5 of 5 stars
The Good Girl
by Mary Kubica
I loved this book! It had my interest from the very first page and was my "airplane" book on a recent trip. Author Mary Kubica created believable and interesting characters that the reader learned to identify with and care about. Mi...
All the Light We Cannot See
4 of 5 stars
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr
This is quite a book! I had it recommended to me by several people and while I thought it might be a little dark and depressing it made me have a better understanding of what life in this time period was like. The strength of the huma...
An Abundance of Katherines
5 of 5 stars
An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green
Another great book by John Green. I have become a huge fan of John Green since my reading of A Fault in our Stars and this book was another that did not disappoint me at all. It was a story of a child prodigy, a lot of anagrams, and a b...

goodreads.com

Professional Reader
Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Copyright © 2015 It's Just Life, All Rights Reserved.

  • Media Kit, Advertising and Disclosure