Forgive and Forget

I thought I have been practicing the art of forgiveness quite competently. Then it hit me. People and circumstances I have forgiven but have not released emotionally will continuously be a burden to me until the day I decide that my personal load is heavy enough.

Forgiveness is easy if only it is not so hard to forget. It is like bouncing off a ball against a wall and catching it back again because we choose to remain in the same spot, same angle, and same game.

While waiting for the service last Sunday I was staring at the face of the baby Jesus in a manger and I had this marvelous feeling of being in the same story of nativity. That feeling was energizing to say the least.

As I went on in my reflection, I felt a nudge to look at another frame. The other where I usually decide to lock myself in after superficially showing or giving others my forgiveness. The easy way of forgiving is painful and dreadful at the same time.

Forgiving and forgetting must happen at the same time. And since we are not born with the super power to do so naturally, we must make the most of every opportunity to practice. Do you remember an old hurt from someone you have decided to accept back into your life? Do you remember your forgiveness of someone grievously taken for granted? Congratulations then. Let’s now practice the forgiveness part, shall we?