Forgiveness must be Intended
Every project, forgiveness included, starts as a thought or an intent. Therefore, thoughts are vital; and, for Birungi, forgiving Lutalo would have to be an intended move. I further highlighted that forgiveness entailed taking a conscious, deliberate and continuous effort to squash any negative thoughts against Lutalo, replacing them with positive ones. Apparently, that was what had helped a lady called Abigayeli deal with bitterness.
As you may recall, Abigayeli’s secretary had hatched a plan behind the manager’s back, to seduce a housemaid to resign without notice, leaving Abigayeli, a busy mother of two hyperactive toddlers, helpless. “When I discovered that my secretary had been responsible for my miseries, I swore to give the girl ‘hell’”, she reveals. But, the advent came the day Abigayeli made a deliberate effort to re-orientate her thoughts to focus on the secretary’s positive attributes, each time she (Abigayeli) felt like blowing up the girl. “After a while, I found it easier to work peacefully with her; and to give her the support she needed”, Abigayeli discloses.
Therefore, nurturing positive thoughts about your offender is important. Any thoughts that revoke memories of the abuse, betrayal, victimisation or other annoyances suffered at the hands of that person must be extinguished rather than entertained.