And Even Forgive Ourselves

All of us are aware at times of fretfulness and frustration⎯and are sometimes troubled, discouraged, and discontent, as we lose the peace and sense of purpose that are always so essential to an inner calm and quiet. And these frustrations are added unto as we see days swiftly slip away, and see ourselves running, rushing, going, coming, using up the hours, not doing all we should, and, in our efforts to catch up and to recover, resorting to excesses, with upswings and downswings; high in spirit at times, depressed at others; so much left undone, and so much that is overdone.

And so with some self-searching, we would plead for calm and quiet, for patience, for thoughtfulness, for a reappraisal of our purpose, with faith in the limitless and everlasting possibilities of life.

And, along with faith, we need repentance, understanding, charity, forgiveness, as all of us come face to face with an appraisal of our own past, with our uses of the present, and a turning to the values that will last the longest…

And let us, oh, please let us, learn the uselessness of enmity⎯enmity toward evil, yes⎯but not enmity toward others who are sincerely trying to live and find their way in life.

Oh, may we live our lives with more concern and kindliness for loved ones, more compassion for other people, more honest, more gentleness in judgment, and maybe even more forgiving of ourselves, knowing that God lives, that life and loved ones are everlasting, and that His law and power and purpose are over all⎯ and thus find faith and peace, as we improve, repent, forgiving others, keeping His commandments, living the laws of health, the laws of happiness, the laws of life⎯living so that, gently and sincerely, we can even forgive ourselves.