I grew up hearing the phrase, "Forgive and forget".....I always had a hard time with that because I would forgive but I could not forget what had been done. I then learned that I could forgive, not forget, but remember with a different attitude. I was raped as a teenager and I know in my heart that I have forgiven my rapist, but I will never "forget" what happened! For years my memories brought with them deep hurt. But as I began to change my attitude (by learning how God wanted me to remember), it all changed! The hurt was replaced with LOVE. I do not believe that when God formed me in my mother's womb He choose for me to be raped when I was 18, but I do believe that the enemy, that roams this world seeking to see whom he can destroy is accountable for that one! So once I got revaluation of who was to blame and who was not, my heart was opened to do things I never thought possible! (John 10:10) It is possible to forgive the man who hurt me. It is possible to honestly pray for him. There is NO WAY to do that in the NATURAL!!! That, my friend, is all from a SUPERNATURAL GOD! So, while I will not ever "forget" what happened to me, I can move forward to receive all that God has for me in my present and future!!! If I had continued to look back on that hurt with hate and bitterness, I would have remained in a very sad place, unable to gain any ground in a lasting way.
As I begin this New Year, I am thankful that God has given me a love that can pass all my understanding in the natural! I am thankful that He takes those things that the enemy intends to hurt and destroy me with, and He uses them for my good and His glory! I am both excited and expectant for all that my Daddy God has placed for me to receive in 2013!!! Hurt will come, usually in the form of people, but HIS LOVE COVERS ALL THE HURT!!!
If there are hurts in your past, or even your present, take hold of this opportunity to change your attitude about it. Turn that hurt into LOVE from the Father Who loves YOU!!!!! LOVE trumps hate EVERY SINGLE TIME =)
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