Forgotten Forgiveness

Many people say “The Lord’s Prayer,” for one reason or another.  They ask that they might forgive others and be forgiven themselves by the God to whom this prayer is addressed.  But the one person they forget to forgive is themselves.  People in Recovery, for instance, need to forgive themselves for the crazy life actions they took in the past.  And some they still do in the present.  Character defects diminish but don’t disappear altogether.  Keeps one humble.  In the morning I try to forgive myself for yesterday and then get on with the day.  Hope is central here.  At night, when I am tired, the forgiveness thing just does not have much of an impress on me, but after a night’s rest, I am more clear-headed and can forgive and let go.  I used to pray for perfection but eventually I bottomed out to pray for survival.  Now I do the forgiveness prayer for me too.  Trudging.