Forgive and Forget

As I sit here trying to come up with an idea for my blog, I wonder why is it that all my really great thoughts seem to come to me in the middle of the night. If that the only time that I will allow my mind to clear enough? That is one explanation. Another is that maybe that is the only time that I am truly quiet and listening. For whatever the reason, that is when my thoughts seem to be the clearest. There have been times that a thought would be so strong that I would get out of bed and write. But since starting my new job, I would really rather not spend two of three hours sitting at my desk in the middle of the night. Sleep is a very important thing to me, especially when I know that I am going to have to get up at 6:00 am.

One of the things that has stuck with me over the last few days is forgiveness As Christians, we understand that if we seek forgiveness, it will be given. But I have started to ask myself the question, actually there are two questions. If I expect forgiveness then should I also not be willing to forgive myself? The second question is if we forgive, should we not also forget?

I know that I have been hurt, disappointed, and betrayed by people that I have loved and trusted, both family and friends. And I have carried around that betrayal in my heart like a badge of some kind. Yet I know that I have also hurt and betrayed my Heavenly Father. Yet all I have to do is ask for his forgiveness and it is given freely. OK, some of those earthly beings that hurt me, have never and will never ask me to forgive them. So does that give me permission not to forgive them? No, because in many instances, they have no idea that they have done anything And for those that do know what they have done, but refuse to acknowledge it. That is an issue they will have to deal with. But it is my responsibility to forgive. Then we come to the forgetting part.

When I ask for that forgiveness, is God going to remind me of it when I mess up again? Nope, he will just continue to love me and forgive me. All past transgressions are forgotten. Therefore, when you forgive, it will not be complete and total forgiveness if you do not also forget. I understand how difficult this is. I have wrestled with this deli ma for sometime now myself. It seems that one person in particular has made it their goal in life to be my undoing. We will never be friends again, but I have forgiven them and am moving on with my life.