God forgets.  Yes?  I think that door handle idea is a good one.  As my
husband has Alzheimer's, if my son ever got a car I would tell him to remove
the handles so my husband wouldn't want to leave on his own.  Thanks for the
idea.  I would never have thought of it on my own.  Perhaps that was the
same sort of situation in this case.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: Something I discovered-forgiveness


> No forgiveness doesn't equate forgetting. For one I'm not sure that is
> even possible in of our selfs, well minus a traumatic experience, but not
> only that, we obtain wisdom and understanding from not forgetting. If we
> are sucked into a bad situation by say accepting a ride from a stranger,
> and things turn out not good, we learn to not do that in the future. I did
> such back in the 90's, albeit nothing bad happened, I did learn. . While
> at a blindness adjustment center in the Twin Cities, a friend and I went
> to the store, bought a bit more groceries than we anticipated, called a
> cab and waited, and waited and waited and waited. No cab. But this
> other  young gentleman saw us waiting and offered us a ride. Before I
> could say, "No, thanks anyway", my friend  opened up his yap and said "yea
> sure". My friend being older than I, and fairly knowledgeable in such
> things surprised me. Anyway  This young guy was clean cut and drove a
> fairly  newer car and prominently displayed a Bible on the dash and a
> swinging Jesus, I say swinging Jesus 'cause he was on a chain swinging
> from the rear view mirror.  almost too prominently displayed as if to say
> "you can trust me". Anyway, I jump in the back passenger side of the car,
> slam the door,  and my buddy and the guy are tossing  the rest of the
> goods in the trunk. I think to myself "Oh shoot, I want to check to see if
> we got every thing out of the cart" I go to get out, and there is no door
> handle, it had been removed. I doubt broken cause like I say, it was a
> nice neat clean and newer car. As I recall  the other rear door was also
> missing the handle. I had no way of letting my friend know in time before
> he jumped in so we could bale out before we became a six o'clock news
> statistic. Fortunately this man brought us to the apartment as promised,
> and perhaps he was a nice kind young man with a Bible on the dash and a
> swinging Jesus on the mirror, and just happened to have two back doors
> without handles, but I know I'll never take such offers again in a metro
> downtown area or anywhere for that matter. My friend can if he wants, but
> I ain't lol. So although there is nothing much to forgive, I will not
> forget, and have learned because of that unforgetness. Similar is the
> benefit from a situation requiring forgiveness.
>
> Brad
>
>
> Brad
>
>
> on 02:01 PM 7/23/2005, Rhonda said:
> That sure is an interesting thought!  I wonder though as huans can we
> truly
> forget, or is it rather that we don't make it a practice to daily or
> weekly
> list the offenses others have  commited against us?
> I've been married for almost 21 years now, and I know there many times
> that
> through word or action I have hurt the one I promised to love till death
> do
> us part, and he has hurt me.  And if I wanted too, I could remember some
> of
> the deepest hurts, there is a  memory of them, but the pain of them is not
> something that hinders my love for Ben, because I love him I have forgiven
> him, and as time goes by, I find it more dificult to recall speciffic
> worda
> and actions.  I was thinking of Angel here, and the rape of her daughter,
> a
> horriffic event, I am sure she will never forget,  so what do you all
> think?
> Does forgiveness mean total forgetfullness?
>
> Rhonda