Rachel’s Response to Some Thoughts for Lisa
I am grateful for the responses to this week’s posts about parents and adult children. Today I want to share one of these. However, I’d first like to acknowledge that many parent/child relationships are strained. I always try to remember that when I write about this subject. While I try to inspire you mamas with beautiful family stories that can be examples for you, I do so with the realization that many mamas do not have beautiful family stories in their families of origin. Parent/child relationships vary significantly from complete estrangement to loving closeness and unity in Christ.
Relationships in families and in churches are perhaps the two areas of human interaction that have the potential for the most joy and, sadly, the most pain. One reason that these relationships have the potential for so much hurt is that we believe that these people—of all people—shouldn’t be hurting us. When that happens, we must remember Jesus and who they were who challenged Him and eventually crucified Him. They were the Jewish leaders, the very people who should have welcomed Him as their promised Messiah. His was the ultimate it’s-not-fair experience. Jesus literally laid down His life for people who treated Him unfairly. It is very hard to do and I know it is easier to say this than to do it, but God blesses us when we do that, too.
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved,
put on a heart of compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience;
bearing with one another, and forgiving each other,
whoever has a complaint against anyone;
just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.
In addition to all these things put on love,
which is the perfect bond of unity.
Colossians 3:12-14
As hard as it is to keep loving and forgiving and serving, it is harder not to do those things. Loving, forgiving, and serving are what we are created to do.
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
While we hope that loving, forgiving, and serving will help to change hearts, it is not essential that that happen. We are blessed more by doing those things than by not doing them. We are following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Now I’d like to share a portion of a beautiful response to yesterday’s post, “Some Thoughts for Lisa.” I’ll call the responder Rachel. Thank you, Rachel, for permission to share it with everyone.
My mom is turning 73 on Friday, and my dad is 74. I am so blessed to have had them all through my own growing up years and while I raised my own children (my youngest is 15 so I’m not quite finished with the raising). And even though I think when I hear of others losing their parents at a young age, “I can’t imagine losing my parents at that stage. I need them so much for advice and wisdom and just to know they’re praying for me,” I have slowly come to realize, I need them at every stage. I’m never gonna be ready to give them up. I, too, like Lisa, have to hold those thoughts captive because, quite frankly, they can destroy the present. Thank God I’m promised His grace when I need it. I can’t take it on yet because I’m not there yet, but I’m trusting His grace will meet me there.
A line from a Steve Green song has been playing in my mind for the last few days: “I cherish the treasure, the treasure of you.” Steve Green’s song is a love song to a lifelong companion, but may we make every person in our lives know that he or she is a treasure whom we cherish. And, more importantly, may we know that God cherishes us and may we help those in our lives know that He cherishes them, too.
See how great a love the Father has given us,
that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are.
1 John 3:1