You Are Always Forgivable

You are always forgivable. You can forgive yourself even when…

• You are guilty and feel regret.

• You can’t fix what you damaged.

• You can forgive yourself even when others won’t.

The G Word

Where are you on the God Idea Continuum?

1. Pretty comfortable with the God Idea and God-talk

2. Hmmm, God is a little more complicated

3. God -talk is a trigger for me

4. Nope, don’t buy it.

Our exploration of forgiveness requires us to take a deeper, bigger view of not only the F Word, but also this G Word. We need words and images to talk about anything, including what we refer to as “”God.”  Can you recognize and honor the ways you necessarily box-in that 3rd strand whenever you put words and images to it? Can you also find ways to hold yourself accountable to a bigger, deeper perspective than the one you can have by yourself? No matter where you are at with the “concept” at a given moment?

Talk about this together! Ask someone about their responses and struggles with this and really listen.

Getting F'd - Forgiveness Challenge 2

Talk with someone you trust about this. What did you learn? What did it make you wonder? What was the hardest part for you?

Didn’t do it yet? Where can you practice that it is easier so you can build your skills for the harder places?

We THINK Forgiveness...

We think Forgiveness:

• Is about the other person

• Means forgetting, getting over or overlooking hurts and wrongs

• Makes things like they were before

• Is too hard

What else do you think about Forgiveness? How could thinking about forgiveness differently shift something important for you?

Why the F Word is Bad - Forgiveness Challenge 1

This Week’s Forgiveness Challenge: Name a time when someone did something that hurt you. Did you go to that person to try to work it out? Or avoid them because it was uncomfortable? Which is easier? Which is more likely to breathe new life into the relationship?