Forgiving...and forgetting

Is there such a thing?

I always thought that the phrase "forgive and forget" was kind of a flip one, something someone would say in an effort to make the person feel better. As I study forgiveness, I have realized that forgiving and forgetting are two separate and distinct actions.

In my experience, I have found that it was easier for me to forgive the person who has hurt me. However; being the introspective person that I am, forgetting the hurt is always harder. You think about the hurt, constantly picking yourself apart to see what you could have done better, which may result in you asking for more forgiveness.

And so it goes.

When I think about all this, I think of two people. David, King of Israel, writer of some of the Psalms, and Joseph, way back in Genesis. You know that guy. The dreamer. The one his father loved the most. The one with the jealous brothers who thought all their problems would be solved if they left him somewhere to die.

Only Joseph didn't die. He went through hell. In prison for a crime he didn't commit. Interpreter of dreams who would have been forgotten about unless a certain chief butler for Pharaoh hadn't remembered him. He became a leader in Egypt, but do you think he ever forgot what happened to him?

I don't think so.

Then there is David. It is said that David had a heart for God, though he was far from the perfect man. Psalm 51 (which inspired this entry), was written by David after he had committed adultery. Words such as "purge," "hide," and "deliver" are significant. He pleads with God to give him a new heart and not to cast him away. Despite the hurt David caused, how could God not forgive him?

But what about the hurt David caused?

Here is what I think. When life changing, earth shattering things happen in someone's life, they are not meant to be forgotten. You learn by them and hopefully, become a better person because of it.

Which brings this whole thing back to me.

As I have alluded to in the past two posts, something happened to me. I was angry, though even now, I see God's hand in what happened. Don't get me wrong. I could have done things better. Have I forgiven these people? Yes, I have. I guess the question is have I forgotten or, better yet, do I want to forget?

No. I'm learning about the things that I want to change about myself. I'm learning about God's grace and provision. After many years of feeling like I was in the wilderness, I truly feel like God's hand is on my life again. His vision for my life is what I want. Not mine.

That's all for now....until next week.