Just a Cold Stone

It is the flowing of your blood throughout your body that brings you life. It flows through every single system, making sure the organs are supplied and enriched with the nutrients. The heart itself is bathed in this life-giving fluid, keeping the heart supple and functioning. We know that. Biology 101. So it's safe to say the opposite is true: when blood is prohibited from flowing throughout the body then death ensues. Maybe death to one area, let's say a gangrenous toe as happens in uncontrolled diabetics or to the whole body such as bleeding to death.’ Even areas of our heart may be ischemic (loss of blood flow momentarily) and experience a heart attack.

This phenomena is also true within our emotional heart when we experience a hurt; our heart hardens. This all happens as one refuses to forgive the one who caused the hurt. When hurt and unforgiveness is left unaddressed, buried in the archives of the soul, it doesn’t just disappear as one would hope. Instead it takes up residence because it becomes unfulfilled revenge so it holds on for dear life seeking retribution. It even goes on to elicit more ground within you. You unconsciously begin to construct inroads now overtaking not only the original offense but subjecting your mind, will and emotions to feed into the negative growing force. This story grows bigger and the hurts grow stronger and often creates a tangled web inside that knows no boundaries even affecting our physical bodies adversely. We become bitter and the lens through which we see our world becomes dark; very dark. Very lonely. Furthermore, this stone heart that is so detrimental to you does nothing to punish the perpetrator or bring justice of any kind. It’s you that reaps the destructive results. 

There is a better way to live life. The good news in all of this is YOU and only you have the power to change the course of destruction as outlined above. That freedom from this path only comes when a decision is made to face and grapple with the hurts once buried, recognize the damage we are causing ourselves by not forgiving, decide to take back the lost ground given over to bitterness, and follow a new path. The Bible says, "I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 11;19 NIV.

This is what true forgiveness will do for you...

Your heart will thank you.

Dr. Anita J. Arrunategui/“Forgiveness”: Hague/ Images: Canva Pro

.