Forgive again, today

“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another.”

Colossians 3:13

My son, my daughter, you've already forgiven once, maybe even several times, but the pain came back, and with it the temptation to take back that forgiveness that felt final. Forgiving to the end is very different from forgiving just once; often you have to choose it again, on the very same day, in the very same hour that the memory hurts again.

I don't expect the memory to completely erase what happened. I expect you to keep choosing not to use it as a weapon, even when the hurt comes knocking again. That's what persevering in forgiveness means: renewing the decision whenever it's needed, without holding it against yourself for feeling the pain again, just choosing once more to let go.

Today, if the hurt has come back, don't condemn yourself for it. Just come back to me, and choose to forgive again, with my help. I forgive you continually, every day, and that is the well you can keep drawing from to forgive as well.