So, what does forgiveness have to do with Chilidogs and Cheesefries? I have no idea, but I do have some answers to other questions about forgiveness and I promised I would post some of them this week, so here goes.
Forgiveness FAQ 1 - Is it possible to forgive and forget?
You've heard that one before, haven't you? Forgive and forget! There's only one problem - it doesn't work. Forgiveness, even the supernatural kind, doesn't wipe out your brain's hard drive. Some smaller things you will be able to forget, but there are some hurts that are so big that they never leave your memory.
The key question is what do you do when those memories come up? If you want to experience real healing you make the decision to keep forgiving. This is what makes Jesus' words to Peter in Matthew 18 so important...
"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." Matthew 18:21,22
Jesus' answer is that you keep forgiving and keep forgiving and keep forgiving. And frankly, the deeper the hurt, the more times you're probably going to have to forgive. Every time the memory of that hurt comes up, you forgive again.
So, if I do that won't the memory go away? No, but here's what will happen. Over time as you continually make the decision to forgive the pain of the memory gets healed. You still have the memory, but it just doesn't hurt like it used to.
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