Don't Forget the Hot Stove

A partner to forgiveness is forgetfulness. They are usually paired together in the idiom – “Forgive and forget.” While I believe every situation should be forgiven, as it helps with the healing process, not all should be forgotten; as forgetting may allow the incident to take place again and again. Think of a child who touches a hot stove. If they forget that putting their hand where a flame exists will cause them to get burned, they’ll continually experience the same pain. How many times does one need to get burned before remembering to stay away from a hot stove?

My message to you this morning is – “Don’t Forget the Hot Stove.”

 Not all incidents are reoccurring, which is why we need to forgive and not dwell on the past. But for those mind-damaging circumstances, it is important that we remember their origin, in order to prevent ourselves from experiencing the same pain time and time again. We can’t allow ourselves to live in ignorance and be vulnerable to constant suffering. We have to remember the hot stove, so the next time around we proceed with caution.