Thursday, February 02, 2012

Memories

This week I spoke with a woman who wishes she could erase some memories and a man whose mind is beginning to erase his. Both are living in tragedy.

The sad reality of sin is that even though God forgives our sin — indeed, He forgives us — yet we have trouble forgiving ourselves and even more trouble forgetting many of those sins. Like an old scar on our head left over from a youthful fall, some sins engrave themselves almost indelibly on our souls. Or so it seems.

Then there's my friend whose problem is not forgetting but remembering. It is so hard to see this smart, sharp professional slowly becoming a caricature of himself. Without even realizing it. And, even at this early stage, I am imagining the pain that his family — especially his wife — will be going through in the years to come.

Memory is a gift. And I am convinced that even bad memories, with a large dose of time and an even larger one of grace, can change, even if they don't go away. Our goal is not necessarily to forgive and forget (though it's great when we can!) but to forgive and move on. And to cherish our forgiveness.

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