Forgiving Isn't Forgetting

Whoever said to forgive and forget, forgot themselves (no pun intended) that forgiving is the good and right thing to do...but forgetting about whatever happened is a whole other matter. If we do forget about a hurtful experience, that's okay. But it shouldn't be expected to forget something just because you forgave someone.
This post is about forgiveness...and to begin with, we all know that sometimes, certain people will hurt you. A lot.
And...you may or may not get feelings that compromise of anger...you might wanna get back at them, make them feel as badly as you do now because of the hurt they caused you.
Let me tell you two things about the above ^: those feelings are natural, but they're also something you do not want to act upon. If someone abuses or hurts you, the thing to do is not get back at them. Just because someone hurt you badly, doesn't give you the right to lower yourself to their lack-of-kindness level and get back at them.
That said, there's also the issue of forgiveness. It can be extremely difficult to forgive, especially if the abuse or hurt someone has piled up on you has been repetitive, and this hasn't been the first time you have gotten hurt by them.
Though you may have forgiven them before-you don't want to do so again-because by forgiving them, you think you'd expect them to improve. But the fact is, when you forgive someone, you really do not know if they will in fact improve and stop hurting you. But Christ has called us to forgive, because that's what He did and has done...every single time, for all of us. God forgives our sins and forgives our faults and mistakes and intentional, self-made flaws; and in imitating how holy and amazing God is, we have to forgive each other.
I realize, especially when writing to someone who may have been hurt a ton in the past, that this isn't easy to act upon. Its one thing to write about in a blog and another to actually live out and practice. But, because recently some persons hurt me deeply and really badly, I was thinking about forgiveness and the whole concept of having to forgive someone who's hurt you so many times before-and who may yet hurt you again.
Though I've decided not to make myself so vulnerable to their ever-changing emotions and feelings towards me, I am going to forgive those who have hurt me. When I want to stay angry and unforgiving towards someone, I try to remember the words of Christ, when He was suffering, dying, on the cross:
"Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."
Its amazing someone in the most horrendously painful condition as Christ was, said those words...but any of us who want to follow Christ in meaningful, selfless ways, can forgive like Him too, to the best of our abilities, and pray for those who hurt us.

Xx,
Veroni

P.S. Though I'm talking about forgiving someone for hurting you in this post, I am not saying for any of you to EVER, EVER, accept any form of abuse from that/those person/s who have hurt you. If anyone is ever physically, emotionally or otherwise abusive in any way to you, please seek a trustworthy adult's help, because being abused by someone can never be accepted and is TOTALLY NEVER OKAY. Praying for and forgiving someone for abusing and hurting is exactly what God would want you to do, but that NEVER means you have to stay in that situation to forgive that person. Forgive, but also seek help out of the abuse as well. THAT IS SO IMPORTANT. Never, ever tolerate abuse. If you ever feel like you don't have anyone to turn to if you're being abused, message me, please. I will always be here for you <3