forgive...and forget?

"there is more growth in the christian life through pain than through enjoyable experiences. pain is the catalyst for growth. it never leaves you where it finds you...(because) GOD's love does not allow us to remain where we are. it is more than mere acceptance, it works and forms. it carves out the image that GOD intends for us." -- dr. ross watson

u know how people always tell us that as christians we must always forgive and forget. but really. and i really do mean really. is that all possible?

part of the healing process from any hurts involves forgiveness. if we really must forgive and forget, then we must not remember anything about the hurt or the act of forgiving after forgiving. this is humanly not possible.

because demanding that we forgive and forget in its strictest sense would amount to amnesia -- not remembering. GOD certainly did not mean for things to be without pain. what is done is done. forgetting about what was done is repression not forgetting.

the healing process revolves around the act of forgiveness. forgiveness is painful. the hurt could be the cause of a lot of sin and pain. but if we could muster enough will to go through the pain that forgiving someone entails, then we would emerge better from all of that. we will be free from our bondages.

how is forgetting possible when the healing process is about acknowledging the hurt and the root cause and then dealing with it. not remembering here just simply entails not holding the grudge against the something or someone because genuine forgiveness transcends all of that.