(Devotional): Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Oh, to forgive 7 x 7 times. What does forgiveness mean? You hear people say: "he/she never ever really forgave me." or "they never forgot about it." I wonder, if you have to forgive people, what does that forgiveness entail? You see the way some people treat the ones you love and you think...is this who I am supposed to forgive? Today in my devotional reading, I read the parable of the unmerciful servant... if you're not sure, check out this supercute rendition online (don't worry, it's very visual if you're not a reader).

http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_gospels/parable_of_the_tortured_debtor/mt18_23.html

I, above all, am so thrilled that God forgives me of my multiple sins. I used to steal library books when I was in elementary school. There were fines on my library card that we couldn't pay. I would sneak the books out in my backpack. Don't worry, I returned them. I'd sneak them back in my backpacks too. Except one. There was one I liked so much I didn't want to return it. It was a book of tall tales. I was really into fairy tales and tall tales. This one had stories of Johny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan. I hid it up on my treehouse until it rained and ruined the cover. Then I came up with this brilliant story that I would tell my dad that I just "found" the book outside. I was an excellent stealer, not a very clever liar. I'm sure my dad thought it was a pitiful story but he probably just thought it was more pitiful that his daughter would be stealing books. In high school, I would steal coins from my friend's room to buy sodas...and finally, just resorted to stealing sodas out of the dorm store fridge. I was and am very addicted to soda. My arm was skinny enough to squeeze through the door even with the chain and padlock on. Sorry, didn't mean to rain on the perfect image you probably had of me in your head. Don't feel like you need to lock up your valuables when I visit your home...I'm proud to say that I don't steal anymore. Hmmm...except I do eat grapes at the store before I buy them. It's just common sense. I put that on my application to H.P.D. when I was applying for a job. Hey, they said to list everything.

Am I the unmerciful servant? I don't want to be. But there are certain people I don't let in my life anymore...a few that I kept trying to forgive and kept getting burned by. What is forgiveness?