Happy New Year To Me (Forgiveness)

As I approach my New Year (Birthday) and reading Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi Daily Inspiration for today it inspired me to reflect on what forgiveness means to me.

The secret to living fearlessly is

 Genuinely Forgiving Others 

“The ultimate gift of forgiveness is this: it helps us to rise above the dualities of passing joy and sorrow

and experience the true joy of unity”.  

There is a lot I can say about forgiveness on my healing journey and one of my many empowering experiences is learning that I don’t have to forgive. I say empowering in a way of freedom like what Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi states “rising above dualities” but from a place of “not forgiving” but still trying to be in unity in the best way I can. 

Forgiveness has had a major impact on our society today especially when it comes to Christianity and the bible. The bible verse that had an impact on me was: 

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.6.14-15.NIV

There is a lot I can say about this, but I have learned that sin is the biggest lie or delusion that has had a major effect on the way we think, feel, choose to forgive or even what forgiveness really truly means. 

Personally, I needed to get away from the pressure that I needed to forgive and also the guilt that if I didn’t forgive that I would not be punished, loved, worthy to receive, or God would not give to me anymore, because I have not chosen to commit to his or her words.

In 2013 I facilitated a workshop on health and well-being in the community in Manchester and one of the themes we touched on was forgiveness. The insights that came to me at the time was forgiveness was an act of giving from within, it was an act of turning inward and being kind towards yourself.

Not necessarily “getting down on your hands and knees begging to repent your sins for forgiveness” or “going to a person saying will you forgive me” or “saying to a person you need to forgive me: or “saying I forgive you”, or “please forgive me” for the sake of creating peace, happiness, letting go of guilt, making things right or letting go of the past. 

Through this exploration, I learned it was a natural process that takes a lot of work and my starting point on the journey to forgiveness really began when I realised that I didn’t have to forgive. And that I just had to take out the “for” for now and “give” inwardly to myself, be kind, realistic and allow myself to heal and not to worry as everything will naturally take care of itself. 

In reflection, this beautiful message, daily inspiration from Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi completes my Cycle and New Year and it makes perfect sense to me that the greatest gift I can receive in preparation for my New Year is to now include the “for” into forgiveness. And see what God brings into union with me this year.

I have to acknowledge in the past three years and as I have grown spiritually, I have not needed to celebrate birthdays in the way I used to. But just being in synchronisation with Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi daily inspirations and receiving the gifts through writing these blogs and creating silent healing meditation videos touches me more deeply than you will ever know. 

To start my New Year, I have chosen to learn to play Nayaswami Jyotish’s song “I Am Thee Lord” on the harmonium. And my new year’s resolution is to continue deepening my devotion and relationship with silence, so I will not sing the song but instead just play it as an instrumental.

So I dedicate this silent healing mediation on forgiveness of all kinds to you, that fits you best, as a gift from me, which always in the end, brings you back to love, union, and the one truth. 

Blessings & Love 

Rev Dinah Pemberton