forgiveness

I've been thinking about what the what the word forgiveness means. I think all to often people think forgiveness means forgetting an offense. I think sometimes people think that just because they're forgiven everything will go back to the way it was before the offense was committed. Forgiveness doesn't mean everything is okay or that the bad behavior is excused. It doesn't mean that things will go back to the way they were before. Once something is cut, sliced, diced, or broken it will never be the same again. I do think people can go forward after forgiveness, but both parties have to realize that things will be different than they were before. This may or not be okay with both or one of the parties.

When I forgive someone I think I''m saying, "I a
m not angry at you, neither do I resent you. I do not want to get even with you, and I do not want you to pay for what you've done. What you said or did matters, but I can go forward with something different."

Sometimes the hurt is still there. Sometimes the trust isn't there yet.