A warm hello! Welcome to another issue of Inspiration from a Blind, brought to you by the one-of-a-kind www.ShirleyCheng.com !
Apologies, folks, my laptop had gone haywire for the past two weeks, so I hadn't been able to send this issue off. So sorry about the late issue, but late is definitely better than nothing. Plus, my newsletter is worth the wait, right? So with no further delay, here you go, and enjoy!
Do you forgive and forget? Or do you forgive and remember?
Forgive and forget—that is what they all suggest. But I recommend that you forgive yet remember. "But isn't that paradoxical?" you may think. Well, let us carefully think about it.
Some people will forget what wrong others did to them, thus automatically forgiving them. How can you not forgive when you forgot all about it in the first place?
What is forgiveness really?
True forgiveness occurs when you are able to think about what happened to you without any ill feelings toward the wrongdoer. This is when you know you have truly forgiven that person. But I recommend that you remember, rather than forget, for your own safety.
When someone did you or someone you know seriously wrong, it is in your best interest to remember what they did. This way, you will take precautions the next time. Although people can honestly repent from serious offenses, it is better to be safe than sorry. It does not necessarily mean that you have to distrust the person completely; it is simply a way for you to be on guard.
If a man was known to have molested a child, would you leave your child alone with him? Probably not, even if he profusely apologized for his wrongdoing and promised to never do it again. But since God is the only one who can know a person's heart, we can not be careful enough, especially in the murky world in which we live, and to be safe rather than sorry is the way to go.
But when you do not trust the man, does that mean you have not forgiven him? Certainly not. Forgiveness is one thing, but precaution is another. Just because you are more cautious around a person who intentionally did another harm before does not mean you do not forgive them. You may hate what they did but you do not need to continue hating the person.
I can name several people who have purposefully done me physical harm, but do I hate them? Hate is a strong word, and I am generally not a hateful person. I do not hate them, but I definitely cannot say I like them, either! But I have forgiven them. I do not wish them harm in return; I have no feelings of vengeance in my heart. That is how I know I have forgiven them. But since I remember what they did, I would not trust my life with them, nor trust them with the lives of my loved ones.
Why is it important to forgive?
Here is my list of top five reasons why you need to forgive:
1. Every one of us has done something wrong in our lives, unknowingly and deliberately, but we have hoped for other people's forgiveness. We are relieved when we receive forgiveness. So why can we not extend forgiveness to others, especially when they have done something unknowingly or in a lesser degree of harm?
2. As we have all wronged one way or another, we have no excuse not to forgive others. One important passage in the New Testament of the Bible best demonstrates this point. A large crowd brought an adulterous woman to Jesus Christ, asking him if they should stone her to death for the sin she committed. He wisely told them to have a sinless person cast the first stone at her. One by one, the people left, until only Jesus was left with the woman, who was forgiven by the Christ.
3. So when we are sinners, we must forgive. But we must forgive more so if we are sinless. Sinless includes forgiveness. Not forgiving is a wrong itself. So whether you are a saint or a sinner, forgive!
4. Above all, God told us to put these matters in His hands. He is the one who takes care of unjust actions and finds justice. We need to let Him take care of our problems and deal with the bad guys, so we can fully enjoy our lives to the very fullest.
5. Finally, forgiving others allows us to move forward. By constantly holding a grudge will make you, yourself, feel bad. Wrongdoers have already caused us harm; why have them harm us more by holding negative feelings in our hearts? Not forgiving others is only treating yourself badly, so be good to yourself and welcome forgiveness in your heart if you have not already!
I thought forgiveness is a timely topic for this month, for, as you know already, the 13th of this month is the eighteenth anniversary of the day my dear mother Juliet Cheng lost the right to be the parent to her own daughter. It was actually Friday, July 13—a Friday the Thirteenth. She had felt uncomfortable about that day, and unfortunately, her instincts were right.
What Happened on Friday, July 13, 1990?
On the morning of Friday the 13th, a woman took her child to see the child's physician for one last consultation as requested by the doctor, who also suggested that the child have a checkup with the eye doctor. When they arrived, the office was silent with stiff-looking people standing about like statues.
The unsmiling doctor walked up to the woman and asked, "Do you agree to have your daughter operated?"
The woman answered, "No, you don't have any medication to effectively control her inflammation. You need to fix the problem from the inside while fixing the outside." The doctor wanted to operate on six of the child's joints—both ankles, both knees, both hips—in one operation when the child had serious joint inflammation, which he had no method of controlling.
The crowd moved in and immediately took away the child.
The woman had just lost custody of her child.
That child was I eighteen years ago. My mother had battled this injustice for five long horrifying months and won, but only after I became all skin and bones under the doctor's "care," which consisted of administering Naprosyn to me on an empty stomach, causing serious bleeding (I vomited large amounts of blood).
Mother was almost arrested once during the case, for she stayed with me a couple of minutes past her visitation time limit one night (she was feeding me ice cream because I had a high fever), and the nurse called the police. Fortunately, a security man in the hospital escorted her to her car just as police cars arrived at the hospital.
This custody case made headlines worldwide, and gained support from celebrities such as Katharine Hepburn, Connie Chung, and Taiwan's former first lady Soong May-ling. Mother and her lawyer, George Athanson—former mayor of Hartford, CT, for eleven years—appeared on CBS This Morning show with Paula Zahn.
I must add here that I am darn proud to have such a brave mother who will fight for my life at all costs. Am I not the luckiest girl?
Have I forgiven the wrong that was done to us?
I still feel shocked and distaste when thinking about the case.
But do I wish the doctor harm? Would I seek revenge?
No. I have forgiven. God will take care of it for me. And He will take care of your problems if you allow Him, so forgive, yet remember, and move on with your life.
But this is why I have become an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care. I always find the positive side to a negative situation, and this is the positive that came out of the case. I wanted to thank those of you who have signed my petition to support my cause.
I am terribly honored and humbled to share with you the news that my Vietnamese translator, Nguyen Bich Lan, who translated my book "Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells," wrote a fascinating book about many of the most well-known child prodigies of the 20th century; some of the prodigies include Picasso, Shirley Temple, and Michael Jackson...and yours truly is included! She sent me an autographed copy. Now I wish I could read Vietnamese!
Would you like to write spiritual short stories? Better yet, would you like to experience a personal spiritual journey during your writing process? Writing spiritual stories is unlike writing any other subject matters; it refreshes your soul as it constantly searches for spiritual elements in life. In my own experience, I thoroughly enjoy writing spiritual topics, as my soul feels so much closer to life and I become even more appreciative.
If you are interested in exploring story writing for spiritual growth, I would recommend the new ebook "How to Write Spiritual Short Stories" by my friend, Chris Cade. When you were a child, you probably had a reading buddy at school. Well, this ebook will act like a writing buddy to aid you in the thinking and writing process. I have personally reviewed his ebook, and I feel that this is a good book to gently lead you in the right direction. Everything has to start somewhere, and this ebook may just be the right start for you.
The best part is, because Chris really does want to work with you and help you find the joy and success you deserve, he's partnered with several personal and spiritual growth experts to give you over $97.00 worth of free ebooks and teleseminars.
Well, that's all I have to share with you this month. Since this month's issue is sent out eleven days late, you'll have eleven fewer days of wait for the next issue! Now that's what I call a positivity to a negativity!
Think back to your past. Do you still hold a grudge that disables you from moving forward, from truly enjoying life to its maximum extent? Then now is the time to forgive whomever did you wrong so you can move on with your life. And by the time August knocks on your door, you will experience the power of true forgiveness and be surprised by its miracles.
Have a wonderful month!
Content Copyright by Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved
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Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of seventeen books by age 24, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
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Please sign the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html
So with no further delay, here you go, and enjoy!
