Healing continues in layers 🧅

Hi, Friend! 

You know how I mentioned that forgiveness helped heal one of my enlarged lymph nodes recently? Well, I learned more about the healing power of forgiveness a couple of weeks ago. Previously I wrote about forgiving without asking for forgiveness. But now I started to powerfully experience the power of actually asking for and receiving forgiveness from someone. I have a long way to go as I know there are people who are still due an apology from me (and there will probably be more in the future), but here's a start...

I needed to ask forgiveness from someone for something I did about five years ago that I suspected was hurtful to the person and had placed a wedge between us. I was afraid for a while to bring this up with the person and it hadn't seemed absolutely necessary yet, so I waited. Recently, our lives seemed to be converging again gracefully somehow and I really wanted to make things right in our relationship. I cared about the person, wanted them in my life and wanted to be back on better terms. I felt that the fullness of time had come and I had no more excuses. I recorded a voice message or two (as I often forget something the first time 🙃), sincerely confessing what I had done, though unintentional, said how much I cared about how what I did may have made them feel, and affirmed the person for all the wonderful things I appreciated about them. It was sincere and out of overflow of my heart. 

I sent the message and felt GREAT! I literally felt washed clean and renewed. I walked down the hallway feeling energized and free... Maybe I even skipped. 😉 It was amazing! That is abundance of life. 

"Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow...

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Psalm 51:7, 10 (a psalm about repentance)

Thankfully, the person responded with great grace, as if nothing had happened! Thank God! 🙌 

Forgiveness is one of the pillars in Chris Wark's Square One program. I never quite understood its importance until the last few years - as a 13 year stage 4 cancer survivor I'm still learning! Maybe forgiveness is not the most important thing for you as it is for me to learn right now - we may learn different things at different times - but I encourage you to check out what else Chris teaches in Square One. As a 15+ year stage 3c survivor of colon cancer, Chris teaches with wisdom timeless truths I trust that I and many others will continue to learn from for many years. 

If the increasing sickness and suffering in the world both near and far burdens you tremendously as it does me (or not as much as me, but you want to help turn things around), please share Square One with someone you know who could benefit from it. I/we need help spreading this message. There may not be one program that meets all of a person's needs - and SQ1 may not be the perfect fit for you - but it's available right now and could be a great place to start! It will be available for free for all starting August 20th and there will be a lot of great support available for everyone who joins the program (more about that later)! Mark it in your calendars!! 

With love and much gratitude,

Bailey 

Below, with thoughts of the Olympics still on my mind, is a picture of me in the hospital in Mexico watching my teammates compete at conference championships instead of being there in person. I badly wanted to be there in Maryland to cheer them on, and I was even told by my practitioner that I could go to champs, delay my treatment and be okay, but I knew I had to fight for my life and I didn't want to lose any ground. There's not much time to waste when you're dying.🎗️