When the Damage is Already Done

Have you ever said something you have regretted, sometimes almost instantly?  And in this day of social media and electronic communication, have you every written/typed/texted something you wish you could take back?  Recently, in an online conversation, in trying to be "helpful", I typed something that I could not take back.  In the end, it was not helpful at all, and I wanted so hard to delete what I had said, but really it would have done no good except maybe protect myself from others seeing what I had typed.  I could have deleted it, but the damage was already done.  I apologized, but my apology was ignored.  It is very painful when our apologies are not accepted, but also I can understand hesitation to forgive as I have been there before.  I would love to say that I could live a life with no apologies, but the fact is that I am human and I am going to mess up and say stupid things, even when I'm trying to be helpful.

In the aftermath of self recrimination and self doubt, God let my heart know with certainty, that no matter what we do, when we come to Him to seek forgiveness, He will never reject us.  Never.  He always receives our plea for Mercy with Love and forgiveness.  Do I forgive the way He does?  Or is my forgiveness cold and conditional?  And on the other side, do I seek forgiveness with love or with a desire to make myself feel better?  The damage has been done, but with Christ, all things are possible, and His Mercy endures forever.