“When attacked, you find it difficult to see the situation clearly. You hold the other person responsible, and anger unconsciously awakens in you.
“You need to know that the one who is attacking is not aware of himself. He does not know that he is love, at least not at that moment. It is not evil that leads him to do this, but he repeats the same old unconscious pattern. It could also be that he feels that the love and anxiety he feels for you is motivating him.
“For your anger or frustration to be dissolved, you need to see the situation clearly. Before you do anything tune to the love that lives in you and let it lead you.
“If you express your gratitude to your sibling and thank him or her for their concern or remark, you step out of the system of fearful thoughts, since the ego does not feel gratitude. You know that everything is for your happiness, so the attack from your brother or sister will also help you–otherwise it would not be in your experience. If you are able to accept that idea, you will feel sincere thanks. Your sibling helps you to be love in all circumstances. By expressing your gratitude toward them, you also stop a series of reactions within them, as your gratitude causes his or her ego to retreat, if only for a moment.
“This puts you in the self that you are. The love within you will guide you, and you will receive the divine inspiration you seek.” Dewdrops of Wisdom, Chapter 30. Message from Mary.
When a dear friend hurts us in what seems to be an attack (because it hurts so much), it is very likely that that person’s own anxiety is motivating what has been said. Much of what we say or do comes up for unconscious reasons; neither the other person or ourself knows why some things happen. They just seem to.
An important idea to take from this quotation is that everything that happens, overseen by a loving God, is meant for our benefit. Nothing happens by chance, even when it is prompted by unconsciousness on the part of the perpetrator.
We know we need to forgive, and we need to forgive first. Forgive, and then you will come to understand. That idea does not come from the book I am quoting, but from long ago in reading, and it is something I have found true to life.
Ask God for enlightenment when something difficult comes our way. He will respond when we can alter our anger into something more beneficial.