Forgiveness and Forgetting

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Matthew Shaw wrote:

> Dear Marlon,
>
> I'm not sure I've yet reached the 'like it never happened' stage.  I know
> God has given me the ability to forgive this person.  Initially, I was
> afraid that I hated the individual and could not even sincerely pray for
> him.  It's been about 8 months since the ordeal, and now I'm beginning to
> feel a true burden for him when I pray.  I've asked God for resolution, for
> forgiveness and the ability to truly love my brother.
>
> I don't believe I can ever trust or respect him again, but I believe I have
> sincerely forgiven him.  Are both attitudes impossible?
>
> Matthew


Bro Matthew, if I a may let me expound upon a scripture that the Lord gave me
one day...

It was about an hour before the funeral of my grandmother. The man that she was
living with (for the last 20 years as they did not get married to get my
grandfathers SS benefits) basically killed her. She was suffering from liver
damage and the toxins in her blood made her prone to bouts of delusion. So they
strapped her to the bed most of the time rather than deal with her (if her
medication was given as prescribed then the bouts were very minimal). On night
he left his cigarettes on the night stand beside her bed and she lit one and
ended up starting a fire on the bed. Because of the restraints she could not
escape and was terribly burnt. This was at 3:00 AM and we and my parents sat
bedside until 4:00PM when she pass away. During my acquaintance with her husband
I had come to the impression that he was the lowest form of life and a waste of
a human. He was a letch to my wife and other women, a drunk, an abuser of my
grandmother (mostly verbal). At the time he was given less than 3 months to live
due to cancer. I truly hated this man. This was 4 months after I received the
Holy Ghost.

That morning I was doing my daily reading and I came across the "Lord's Prayer".
The section that hit me was Matt 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors. Now I knew I had to forgive him and do it in the same manner I want
the Lord to forgive me....So I forgave him...it was not easy.

An elder in the church told me when I was very young in the Lord that "living
for the Lord is not easy, but it is worth it".

I hope this helps,

Lord Bless;
Bro. Bill Clifton
woodrow_@nettaxi.com
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/1226/index.html