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Lake Michigan is roiling today. Forecasters keep extending weather warnings, cautioning against dangerous beach conditions. I can’t help but see my own lingering resentment in the same way. Despite determined forgiveness work, a grudge I’ve held for months is still there, sloshing around, like waves washing over the seawall at Clark Street boat launch.

I’ve been working diligently to let go of the anger and hurt, to release it once and for all. But every time memory of the perceived offense resurfaces, a rogue wave of seething indignation washes over me. So instead of trying to force it out of my heart, I’ve decided on a different approach: I’m going to dissolve it in the field of infinite love, much like how the lake’s turbulent waters eventually settle and flow into the broader currents. This shift in perspective is rooted in the idea that energy can’t be destroyed, only transformed into something new.

Dissolving resentment doesn’t mean ignoring the hurt or pretending it never happened. Instead, it’s about recognizing the feelings of anger and pain as natural responses, ones that may have been necessary to protect ourselves in the past. But over time, these protective instincts have become overactive, perceiving threats where there are none. By dissolving the resentment, we can honor the wisdom behind these feelings while dismantling the unnecessary fears that keep them alive. It's not erasing a part of ourselves; it's simply allowing a healthier, more supportive form to express.

Aiming to rid ourselves of resentment just doesn't work, because, like energy, it can’t be destroyed — only transformed. By dissolving it instead, we create space for something new to emerge. In the place where resentment once festered, we create room for feelings, thoughts, and actions that empower us to live fully. Just as Lake Michigan’s waves eventually calm and become part of the greater whole, so too can resentment be transformed into something that serves our highest good.