Through each crisis in my life, with acceptance and hope, in a single defining moment, I finally gained the courage to do things differently.

Acceptance doesn’t mean that life gets better; it just means that my way of living life on life’s terms improves.

The Aramaic word for “forgive” means literally to “untie.” Hatred and anger had bound me to my pain. The fastest way to free the self from an enemy and all associated negativity is to forgive. Untie those bindings; free yourself from that person’s ugliness.

I had to clear up my messy life. By letting go of the debris and filth, I have come to a deeper, more soulful beauty and clarity like an oasis in the desert. From that place of clarity, a vision of what I could have, what I could do, who I could be has emerged if I allow my heart to become a place of compassion, acceptance and forgiveness.

Forgiveness enables me to walk away from that pain, the loneliness and suffering.

With each opportunity before me, God presented me with a choice. I could accept His offerings, His wisdom, His grace. Or I could choose to hold onto the pain, the anger and the resentment a little longer.