TO FORGIVE, JUST CHANGE OUR MIND

If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master's presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in Our Lord's presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed. -- Saint Francis De Sales

That quote has comforted me for years and will for years to come no doubt. I suspect that its encouragement to keep on keeping on is what led to my blinding flash of the obvious: Instead of praying "Father, forgive me," I need to pray "Father, change my mind."

I had two getting-over-myself experiences yesterday...both having to do with two people I've never been delighted with so have pretty much ignored. Yesterday, without thought or purpose, I welcomed each into my space (for lack of a better word), and they both felt the welcome and responded in kind...lovingly. 

When we're mentally resisting someone, the resistance shows and that someone resists right back...in our obliviousness, we feel justified in mentally bashing them because of their unloving-ness, which is simply their resistance to ours. 

In learning to walk the spiritual path, we finally realize that when we have unkind thoughts of others, we're better off within our own selves if we shoot a quick "Father forgive me." My experience yesterday, however, expands that to "Father, change my mind." For that is all that happened yesterday when I was gifted with my getting over myself. My resisting mind was changed to a welcoming mind. And the love I gave was the love I received.

Thank you.