Healing the Injured Dove

Providedove nce behooves us to forgive, and the task can sometime be onerous. We have all been in such situations and know that it's easier said than done.

What, then, do we do when forgiveness becomes more than a little challenging? An injured dove, like any other bird, will find it difficult to fly. Forgiveness will give it flight, but it does not come easily.

One will have to acknowledge the negative feelings which require letting go. Though they may not seem obvious, forgiveness has benefits, such as emotional freedom, peace and improved relationships. It is a gradual process that requires empathy (difficult) and an understanding of the bigger picture (also difficult).

The dove is a symbol of forgiveness. But how do we treat it when it is injured? These cinquains will answer this question.

White dove

Feathers furled, bent

Its wings broken and torn

Unable to soar in the sky

Shattered

White dove

Spirit needs voice

Its injuries need light

For balm to soothe,revitalize

And heal

White dove

The lovely bird

Must know that olive branch

Nourishes the soul and nurses

The heart

White dove

Hard to rescue

White bird must fly to the

Tall tree with the olive branches

That save.