This is a meditation for reflection upon the lines from the Lord's Prayer as I learned it - "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

For reflection

Thinking about the message in the Lord's Prayer, I am most inspired by the thought of "forgiveness" as an idea that flows both to us and from us.

Perhaps it is easiest to forgive others the wrongs we perceive having been done to us, and harder to accept forgiveness ourselves. After all, that would mean we have done things where we need forgiveness.

Let this reflection go further to the idea of forgiving ourselves for having negative thoughts about anything. Yes, anything.

For when we hold negative thoughts we are placing blame for our unhappiness upon another. When in living a real life, a spiritual life, we are steeped in forgiveness for all, including ourselves, and do not feel unhappy. Rather, we enjoy our eternal spiritual state of harmony and joy right in this moment and all moments.

If the state of heaven is a mental experience, separate from the body and brain, then we truly can forgive ourselves for negativity and others for their negative inspired actions toward us no matter what state or shape our body is in, young or old, in sickness and health. The mental peace brought on by living forgiveness is with us now and forever more.

We live in our body for now - a body that is continually changing and eventually decaying if we live long enough. But we needn't be bounded by loss and decay if we remember we really have the choice for harmony and joy by keeping a forgiving attitude.

A forgiving attitude knocks out negativity before it has a chance to harden into physical aches and pains in our body. When feeling harmonious we feel most relaxed and our physical body feels relaxed, too.

It is worth it to adopt the attitude of forgiveness as a lifelong companion from here on out, and enjoy a heavenly state of mind while living on earth.

In summary, reflect on the points that forgiveness is many sided: forgiving others for injuries; forgiving our harms to others; forgiving negative thoughts as they arise. And, heavenly happiness is for now when we maintain the attitude of forgiveness.

Article by Susan Kramer

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