Let's take a look at some noted people who made mistakes in life and were forgiven and continued on:

Robert Byrd: KKK member. Changed bigtime and became a very LONGSTANDING U.S. Senator who served honorably.
Bill Clinton: Multi-Infidelity; Admitted Misleading Statements About Infidelity (Apologized, continue to successful post-presidency.)
Jesse Jackson: Infidelity (Made personal amends. Continued as important civil rights, political, and religious leader.)
Marion Barry: Lying, Criminal Drug Use and Possession (Did re-hab, served his time, re-entered public life at the local level.)
George Wallace: Defender of Segregation (Later reversed those views, moderated, and was widely forgiven, and continued to serve as governor well into the 1980's.)
Mel Gibson: Anti-Semetic and Racist Rants When Drunk (Apologized many times, took hiatus, got alcohol abuse treatment, and is now back as a successful actor and director.)
Joy Reid: Homophobic Statements (Apologized and continues to work successfully.)
Tulsi Gabbard: Homophobic Statements (Apologized and continues to serve successfully.)
Kevin Hart: Homophobic Statements (Apologized and continues very successfully.)

And the list goes on and on.

Also, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned many slaves, and Abraham Lincoln for a long while was not for ending slavery but just containing it. (Washington said in his will his slaves would be free only upon the death of his wife. She released them while she was still living. He pre-deceased her.) (Lincoln even said at one point, "If I could save the union without freeing any slaves I would do it." He placed saving the union above slavery. He later was for getting rid of slavery entirely on principle.)

We all make mistakes and misjudgements. Hopefully we live, we learn, we change, we grow, and we earn forgiveness and chances to continue on. Mistakes long ago should not define use forever. EVERYONE makes mistakes. EVERYONE.