C.S Lewis once wrote: “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” This is a sentiment I have found to be true, especially in my own life. Have you ever struggled to forgive something so painful where the memories linger on? Or perhaps you don’t know how you’ll ever move past a deep hurt when you know you’ll never receive an apology?

In Lysa TerKeurst’s new book Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, she addresses these common challenges around forgiveness along with many more. Lysa herself has been through a painful journey of abuse and in recent years, marital infidelity, so this book is written with much grace, tenderness and empathy.

This book is faithful to the Bible’s teaching on forgiveness whilst also acknowledging the reality that forgiveness is a decision AND a process. I found TerKeurst’s suggested practical applications extremely helpful and each chapter contained so much I wanted to highlight or go back to, to fully process the information.

Each chapter contained so much I wanted to highlight or go back to, to fully process the information …

Through the pages of this book, the reader is guided through challenging any unhealthy perceptions and beliefs they may hold. Then, they are taught how to process them through a step-by-step guide (with incredibly thought-provoking questions) to the path of forgiveness and emotional healing. All the while, being encouraged to remember that God’s mercy is not void of His justice.

This book also addresses complex topics like where was God when I was hurt, how to forgive God when we wrongly believe he is at fault, setting boundaries, navigating loss, identifying the roots of bitterness, and exploring why we should forgive.

All these topics are discussed with a gentleness and a compassion I find quite unique to TerKeurst. She writes about hard things without any judgement or condemnation and this book is certainly one of the best I have read on the topic of forgiveness.

If you’re hurting, if you’re feeling disillusioned or wrestling with knowing that you need to forgive someone but really don’t want to – I compel you to read this book. Soak in the gentle wisdom, raw vulnerability and biblical truths from someone who has wrestled with pain and suffering herself. Learn anew that forgiveness isn’t perfection, it’s progress and that Living in the comfort of peace is so much better than living in the constraints of unforgiveness.  This is definitely a book I’ll return to again and again.

Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace With Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again by Lysa Terkeurst is currently on sale at Koorong for $23.99. It is published by Thomas Nelson Publishers.