Tuesday - November 19, 2013; Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you through Christ. A brief reading today, but that doesn‘t make these words any less important… Life in a single parent family can sometimes get intense, frustrating, and hectic. There can be plenty of stress to go around, and just as many misunderstandings. It is easy to get angry and then say or do things we later regret; this is where forgiveness comes in handy. There are many times when my daughter an I have gotten into nasty arguments, and have said things we did not really mean….things that were really meant to hurt at the time, in the midst of what was basically a temper tantrum. As the parent, I was at first reluctant to apologize for what I had done wrong, afraid that it would show weakness to my daughter if I said I was sorry and admitted that I had made a mistake (hey I am a guy after all); but I soon realized that this was just my ego talking, as I remembered passages from the scriptures on forgiveness, and other lessons I have learned in life about how one of the first steps in forgiveness is admitting when you are wrong. As a friend pointed out once, in almost any situation (with some exceptions; for instance if there has been abuse) no one is 100 percent right or wrong, even if I am 99 percent in the right, I need to make amends for my 1 percent before moving on to forgiveness; who course in most cases the percentage is closer to 50 percent for both parties in any disagreement. It was good for me to remember this when dealing with the aftermath of big blow up…or with my ex-wife for that matter; it helped me to first take responsibility for my own side of the street, so that I could then move on to forgiving others. Also, it helps to remember that forgiveness does not mean that what took place was okay, but it is a commitment to let go of past pains and hurts; even if this offer is not accepted. Forgiveness, of ourselves and of others, especially our children, and their ‘other’ parent is more about us, letting go and accepting others as they are, even if they do not seem to be sorry, and it is a way that we can move on, and take steps towards restoring broken relationships, especially ones that will never “go away”, like with our children, who we will be connected to forever, just as God is connected to us… Therefore, as followers of Christ, and as decent human beings, we are called to forgive ourselves and others, just as God has done for us, with love, acceptance, and grace; and hopefully, a commitment for change, as the ministry of Christ is a ministry of love, reconciliation and transformation! Let us Pray God, thank you for your unconditional forgiveness, given as a gift through Christ; help us to share this gift with our children, their other parent, and all others we find ourselves in conflict with. Help us to follow Christ’s ministry of healing and reconciliation, as we seek to make him known in our world and in the lives of our children…lives that are destined to transform our world, and move us ever closer to becoming one with your kingdom. Amen
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 17:10:50 +0000