I was vacuuming my rug this morning & vacuumed up a Christmas tree needle.

My first thought was “Are you kidding me? It’s almost the middle of March & I’m still finding those little green suckers every where?!”

They just kept showing up, like a bad memory.

Then I stared thinking, isn’t that just like those mistakes we’ve made in the past? They sometimes pop up, even though we’ve asked for forgiveness.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m reminded of a past wrong I’ve committed I feel the emotions I felt at the time. Shame, embarrassment, condemnation, you get the idea.

Why do we torture ourselves like that? Most of us know the verses that talk about the Lord removing our transgressions as far as the East is from the West. You can’t get much farther than that!

A dear friend of mine was struggling to get past her past. Things that she had done before she was even a Christian. Someone shared with her that her inability to forgive herself was like her telling Jesus what He did on the cross wasn’t good enough for her.

Wow. Years later that thought still causes me to pause & think.

When these memories assault you & seek to condemn you, remember you are not who they say you are.

You are who HE says you are. And he says you are forgiven & so very loved.