See, I think that we tend to believe that it is easier to forget than to forgive. Why else would we try to "keep the past in the past," or "not look back," or just simply run from traumatic events? We try to bury the bad memories, leave them behind. Unfortunately, they have a habit of trailing behind us and hanting us. The only way to truly lay them in the past is to face what hurt us and forgive. Forgiving takes effort and even pain. To pick up a memory that we wanted to never remember again and look at it is difficult. The longer we avoid it, the worse it is when we face it anew. I know I have many things in my past that I regret. Things have happened to me that require me to love people I don't even want to remember. The people (and the memories they elicit) I have truly forgiven in my heart don't often return to haunt me.
You can't forget, and hope that once you've forgotten, you will forgive.
You must forgive, and though you may find it hard to forget, God will help the memories become more distant.
No comments:
Post a Comment