Like a lot of folks, I have secretly wrestled with this tricky topic for most of my life. There\u2019s the complicated component, forgiving someone who has harmed you who might not \u201cdeserve your forgiveness,\u201d especially when they aren\u2019t remorseful for their actions. More than two decades ago, I learned a lot about undeserved forgiveness from a Jewish Holocaust survivor named Elisabeth \u201cLiesl\u201d Sondheimer. My late friend, Liesl, eventually made her home in Lima, Ohio, after she fled her German homeland during Hitler\u2019s reign of terror.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Like the famous Nazi Hunter Simon Wiesenthal, Mrs. Sondheimer spent decades retelling the horrific account of the World War II extermination of more than six million European Jews to countless audiences. She was featured in the regional Emmy award-winning documentary, \u201cA Simple Matter of God and Country.\u201d Unlike Wiesenthal\u2019s quandary concerning forgiveness highlighted in his book, The Sunflower, Liesl always maintained, \u201cYou must forgive, but never forget, or Hitler has won.\u201d The silver-haired survivor\u2019s ability to forgive astounded me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, I knew about forgiveness. \u201cForgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.\u201d I grew up mouthing these words as a Catholic school girl, almost daily reciting this line from \u201cThe Lord\u2019s Prayer,\u201d also known as the \u201cOur Father.\u201d Although I recited words about forgiveness, in my heart I had no idea how to forgive childhood trauma. I was the ultimate grudge keeper wearing my unforgiveness as a badge of honor.<\/p>\n\n\n
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As a vulnerable teen, I became consumed with a lack of forgiveness, which resulted in depression, migraine headaches, ulcers, and a failed suicide attempt. As a high school senior, I was committed to Toledo State Mental Hospital. During the 1970s, the barbaric institution only intensified my desire for validation, that I was the one who had been wrongfully treated. Yet when we are victimized, we become a further victim when we hang onto the hurt and bitterness. Thus, I spent years in and out of psychiatric facilities battling depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a famous quotation that\u2019s been circulating for decades, it says, \u201cUnforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.\u201d Our health truly can be affected. \u201cStudies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards\u2026lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure and levels of anxiety, depression and stress,\u201d this according to the article, \u201cForgiveness: Your Health Depends on it\u201d from www.johnhopkins.org.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong, this column isn\u2019t about \u201ccheap\u201d forgiveness, which is denying the offense or violation. Nor does forgiving a grievous offense mean the perpetrator should be spared from consequences. Whether it\u2019s a prison sentence, a permanently broken relationship, or instituting healthy boundaries; there are circumstances where we must protect ourselves or those we love from physical or emotional abuse being repeated. Although forgiveness is a gift, we give ourselves. It is the condition of the heart where we let go of bitterness, anger, and a desire for revenge, and find emotional freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nLiesl taught me these truths and this and other wisdom she shared with me was recently published in the new \u201cChicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Ways to Think Positive <\/a>book, which was released on Jan. 7, 2025. This is my eighth title as a contributor for this inspirational series of uplifting books. I\u2019m beyond thrilled to have my story, “Liesl’s Life Lessons” especially her wisdom about forgiveness included. After all, for a girl who once was a champion grudge holder, this seems like a consummate testimony to the extraordinary power of God’s grace.<\/p>\n\n\n Christina Ryan Claypool <\/a>is an award-winning freelance journalist, Chicken Soup for the Soul contributor, and author who has been featured on Joyce Meyer Ministries Enjoying Everyday Life TV Show and CBN\u2019s 700 Club. Her recent inspirational book, \u201cSecrets of the Pastor\u2019s Wife: A Novel\u201d<\/a> is available on all major online retail outlets. Amazon link<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the most complex subjects human beings grapple with is understanding and embracing the concept of forgiveness. \u201c\u202662 percent of American adults say they need more forgiveness in their personal lives, according to a survey by the nonprofit Fetzer … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/christinaryanclaypool.com\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Cover-My-photo-jpeg-for-web-use-smaller-version-150x200.jpg\")
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