Smedes _Is Forgiveness Really Possible?_ Taiwan Exclusive

***This product ships to Taiwan only. Author: Lewis B. Smedes Publisher: Light Culture Publishing Book Size: 150mm x 210mm Pages: 288 ISBN: 978-626-96934-2-9 Publication Date: March 2023 [Synopsis] Do we all harbor someone in our hearts whom we can never forgive? Whether or not they are still in your life, the hurt they caused is undeniably real. And then, that bone-deep pain can surge unexpectedly, as if engulfing you once more. We discover that the only way to break free from the memory of hurt, to escape a life of misery born from resentment, is to forgive the person who caused the harm. Only when we ourselves are healed can we possibly mend our relationships with those who have wounded us. The profound pain we endure was never meant to be ours, yet it flows like water from a dead past into a living present. Perhaps it was a friend's betrayal, parental abuse, or abandonment by a spouse in the cold—these hurts do not heal with the rising sun. We wish we could return to the moment of injury and excise the pain from our lives. Some are fortunate, as if blessed with a naturally developed "forgetfulness gland." They never harbor resentment or recall old wounds. For them, tomorrow's arrival kills the painful yesterday. But for most of us, we find ourselves helplessly watching the painful past roll over and over in our memories. Are we truly helpless? Forgiveness does not seem like a natural act. Our sense of justice tells us that wrongdoers should pay a price, yet forgiveness is a force of love that can break natural laws. - Ask yourself these questions: How can I forgive those who have wronged me? - Who deserves forgiveness? Is anyone outside the boundaries of forgiveness? - What should I do? - Why should I even try to forgive? Will I benefit? Is it fair? - Professor Smedes invites you to explore the answers he found on the journey of "forgiveness" with him. You will understand: • Forgiveness progresses through four stages. If we can complete them, we can reach the ultimate point of restoring relationships. The first stage is being hurt: If someone has caused you deep pain, treated you unfairly, and you cannot forget it, then you have been compelled into the first stage of the forgiveness journey. The second stage is harboring resentment: You cannot erase the memory of how deeply you were hurt, nor can you wish your enemies well. Sometimes, you may even wish the person who hurt you to suffer as you have. The third stage is accepting healing: You gain a pair of "magical eyes" that allow you to see the person who hurt you in a new light. Your emotional scars heal, the pain that surges is pushed away, and you regain your freedom. The fourth stage is restoring the relationship: You invite the person who hurt you back into your life. If they also respond with sincerity, this love will propel you into a new and restored relationship. • Those who are difficult to forgive. It is hard to forgive people we cannot see, touch, or even know. Or, we find it difficult to forgive those who remain unaffected whether we forgive them or not. Some individuals are simply too evil to forgive. And perhaps the most difficult of all is forgiving ourselves. • How to forgive We invite you to see how ordinary people forgive others in their own ways. Of course, others' methods, even the details, may not be exactly the same as yours. However, observing how others do it might be helpful. Do not expect simple tips or tricks, but rather pay attention to seeking signals and hints. Remember, no one said forgiveness is easy. • The reasons for forgiveness We should answer this: Because forgiveness is the only way to find a better path to justice in this unjust world. Forgiveness is a divine move that overthrows injustice with love. Love also brings hope, allowing us to be healed from these deeply unfair feelings of suffering. This is a journey of self-healing and a path to emotional liberation. It makes it easier for us to forgive. Often, our inner emotions are in turmoil, and forgiveness does not mean anger will vanish completely, but ultimately, the one who forgives gains the greatest freedom and release from the act of being forgiven. Who needs to read "Is Forgiveness Really Possible?"? • Those who have been hurt • Those who have hurt those around them • Those who wish to become stronger in their interpersonal relationships [Endorsements] *Reverend Wu Yong-cheng (Senior Pastor, Torch Church) *Dr. Lee Chih-hung (Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Asia University; Pastor, RC Church Zhongxiao) *Dr. Lin Kai-chin (Renowned Psychology Course Instructor) *Dr. Shi Yi-nuo (Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University) *Dr. Au Cheung-kong (Professor of Counseling, China Graduate School of Theology, Hong Kong) *Dr. Cai Yuan-yun (President, "Breakthrough Movement Youth," Hong Kong) (Listed in stroke order of surnames) *Forgiveness is a choice, and forgetting is a result. - Reverend Wu Yong-cheng (Torch Church) *Forgiveness, then forgetting, is indeed a good remedy, but it cannot be written on a note and handed to you. - Dr. Lee Chih-hong (Asia University) *Forgiveness is a medicine! It can indeed bring great healing power. - Dr. Shi Yi-nuo (Fu Jen Catholic University) *The cracks in the depths of everyone's interpersonal relationships can only be forgotten through forgiveness, and only by forgetting can one live freely. - Dr. Cai Yuan-yun ("Breakthrough Movement Youth," Hong Kong) [Author Biography] Lewis B. Smedes Renowned author, ethicist, and theologian. He served as a professor of theology and ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary in California for twenty-five years. He is the author of fifteen award-winning books, including *Forgive and Forget*.