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Conversations like this are why I'm glad to be taking part in the Q & A sessions starting this week at Seacoast. I don't have all the answers - I barely have any - but I like to come up with better questions and hammer those out together:

rickramble: i dont understand how forgiving he can be (getting back with wife, she's cheated on him) when i get ticked at the guy cutting me off in traffic
rickramble: maybe he loves her

friend: well, its a self-respect thing as well as a forgiveness thing. she will do it again. people's character rarely changes unless God gets a hold of them....even then, its always an up hill battle for some

rickramble: thank gracious God does the same thing in pursuit of me

friend: forgive, yes, but you have to make a wise decision about what is best for you....
friend: it is not wise .....like in Proverbs it says that a man that repeats his folly is like a dog that returns to his vomit.
friend: gross.

rickramble: "forgive" needs to be about letting go of what's come in the way of the relationship, and not letting that indiscretion cloud the way i look at the person who's hurt me - i can be smart, and might learn where not to trust someone, but i can't hold onto it and tense up everytime someone enters the room - "forgiving is easy - continuing to forgive every time that comes to mind is the hard part" - and i think God looks past the problems to see us and love on us

friend: but forgiving does not always restore a relationship and repair the damage. remember that. I really need to go - got stuff to do! Thanks for the stuff to think about.

rickramble: if forgiveness doesnt do something to bring restoration and reconciliation, i don't think it's forgiveness anymore... there's too much at stake relationally. not to have to go back to "the way things were", but to move on we've got to do more than "agreeably disagree"
rickramble: take care, buddy - hollah anytime - and thanks for that chat, too