Saturday, July 11, 2009

The Wounded Heart



I'll be teaching Relief Society tomorrow on the subject of forgiveness. Needing to kill two birds bugs with one stone (SAVE THE BIRDS!) because I'm still busily tinkering with the lesson, I'll make today's post a preview of the not-quite-finished-yet poem I've written to accompany it. 

The Wounded Heart

c2009 Susan Noyes Anderson

To every heart, a wound must come;
  no soul is free from this.
Some enemy or friend will deal
  a blow that breaks your bliss.

By malice or intention, born
  of ignorance or whim,
one day, your trust will be forsaken––
  torn from limb to limb.

And as you seek out respite, solace,
  justice or redress,
beware of the false spirit that
  invites you to transgress.

Lay down the sword of tit for tat.
  Spurn battles none can win.
Revenge makes a mean ally, for
  its price is your own sin.

And oh, that wound runs deeper than
  the blow that cut you first,
for pain inflicted on yourself
  will always hurt the worst.

When your heart aches with sorrow,
  wash it in humility
and wrap it in the love our Savior
  offers you and me.

The Master Healer knows the way.
  He died that we might live.
If we would be forgiven, then
  like Him, we must forgive.

I firmly believe that the ability to forgive is a spiritual gift we can all pray for and receive. Taking this thought to its logical conclusion, there can be no offense of such magnitude that it cannot be forgiven, because there is no act of forgiveness so great that the Lord cannot facilitate it. 

In other words, the wounded heart can be healed.

PS. I can't wait to teach this lesson!

8 comments:

Grandma Honey said...

Forgiveness to me is very interesting, and often on levels I don't understand. I have an easy time forgiving big things, a harder time forgiving the smaller things. I easily forgave the men who took my husband's life...but I have a hard time forgiving acquaintances/friends I know and love who verbally hurt. But I'm working on it.
I hope you share more about your lesson. Wish I could be there to hear it!

Heather Anderson said...

SOUnds like it will be a good one wish I was able to sit and be part of it. Love the poem, thanks for sharing! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE that photo above it... cool art!

Unknown said...

We're ahead of you guys on the lessons I think. I REALLY wanted...and frankly, needed to teach that lesson. I'm going to be teaching lesson 35 tomorrow. I'm kind of stressed about it. There is a lot of reading of long quotes and it doesn't have the touchy feely parts that your lesson has. I know you will do a great job. Wish I was going to be in your class tomorrow instead of mine. :)

Heather Anderson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
karen said...

I wish I could have heard your lesson. I loved the poem. Forgiveness can be tricky, but for me the hardest person to forgive is myself. A very wise bishop told me once that in order to progress, we need to forgive ourselves and stop picking at the wound that's trying to heal. It's still not easy to do, but I try very hard to follow that counsel. By the way - your book rocks! My daughter liked it too - I had to wrestle her for it.

~Shari said...

Thank you Sue. I missed the lesson as we were on the road and you are the only summation I will get. I appreciate it.
~Shari R.

Ryan A said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Fiauna said...

I love it! It's perfect. I hope your lesson went well.