Friday, March 5, 2010
The Positive Effect of Forgiveness
A young mom in her 20s stood before the group, crying as she told what it was like growing up with an alcoholic mother. She shared the deep loneliness and insecurity she experienced as a child when it was time to go to bed and she would ask where her mom was – her dad could only say “I don’t know if she’s coming home tonight.”
Such is the experience of children of alcoholics.
But I have seen what can happen when the parent makes the decision to work through a recovery program and live a life of sobriety. In this case, the alcoholic mother in this story went through Wheeler’s addiction recovery program and has now been sober for more than two years. As part of the program, clients are urged to reconcile and make amends with family, friends, and co-workers.
This mother and daughter have had several honest conversations, shed many tears together, and worked through different areas where forgiveness needed to take place. They have truly reconciled. Now, they talk on the phone several times a week, and spend time together regularly. Yes, there are still painful memories, but the positive effect of forgiveness has worked deeply in their hearts.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV
Rick
Such is the experience of children of alcoholics.
But I have seen what can happen when the parent makes the decision to work through a recovery program and live a life of sobriety. In this case, the alcoholic mother in this story went through Wheeler’s addiction recovery program and has now been sober for more than two years. As part of the program, clients are urged to reconcile and make amends with family, friends, and co-workers.
This mother and daughter have had several honest conversations, shed many tears together, and worked through different areas where forgiveness needed to take place. They have truly reconciled. Now, they talk on the phone several times a week, and spend time together regularly. Yes, there are still painful memories, but the positive effect of forgiveness has worked deeply in their hearts.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV
Rick
Labels: forgiveness
