The Graceful Gift of Forgetfulness

Forgiveness is far easier than forgetting.  In fact forgetting will never happen.  What do we do when forgetting keeps interfering with forgiving?  One is to remember that forgiving often is an ongoing affair; we forgive once but then we often have to sincerely recommit to our forgiveness.  Secondly we need to understand that we own the hurt from the offenses and cannot give it to the offender or to anyone else, it is our burden to bear.  If we are to relieve ourselves of the hurt we must give it to Someone who can bear it, “Give all your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.”  Lastly we must understand that we are all alike and that we have hurt others, often those closest to us, and that they too struggle to forget it.