Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again

by Lysa TerKeurst

Forgiveness isn’t an act of my determination. Forgiveness is only made possible by my cooperation.

those who cooperate most fully with forgiveness really are those who dance most freely in the beauty of redemption.

“For me to move forward, for me to see beyond this current darkness, is between me and the Lord. I don’t need to wait on others to do anything or place blame or shame that won’t do anyone any good. I simply must obey whatever God is asking of me right now. God has given me a new way to walk. And God has given me a new way to see. It’s forgiveness. And it is beautiful.”

I only needed to bring my willingness to forgive, not the fullness of all my restored feelings. For whatever my feelings didn’t allow, the work of Jesus on the cross could cover.

If we become more self-aware of how we are processing our thoughts and perceptions and redirect those in more life-giving ways, then inside every loss, a more wise, empathetic, understanding, discerning, compassionate person of strength and humility has the potential to arise within us.

“Hope is the melody of the future. Faith is dancing to that melody right now.”

“I just need to know that you acknowledge the pain these people caused me. Their choices were wrong and hurtful and so selfish. And I don’t even know that they know how

wrong they were. I thought I was in a good place with this, but now I’m not, and I’m confused and hurt all over again. And now I’m angry that they didn’t just hurt me years ago; they are hurting me all over again tonight, which makes me feel ‘not healed’ and exposed and frustrated. I need you to defend me. I need to hear you make this right!!”

are you angry that you haven’t seen evidence of Go...