Rebuilding Family Relationships After Change or Loss

^{Understanding, Supporting, Loving=Belonging} 

 ^“ complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Philippians 2:2 (ESV)

⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”^[a] 1 Peter 4:8(NKJV)

“Love is stronger than differences. We all live on the same planet.”-Louise Hay

 

We seek love in many places. When we love someone we have so many feelings and emotions for that person. When we fall in love we feel loved, happy, valued, accepted, honored, wanted and protected and we want this person to be in our life all the time and we will reach to the point that we can not live without them. We think of them all the time and we trust them to share our feelings. This person becomes our entire world and we long and desire to be with them. We love them with all our heart, soul and mind. The said love could be for our parents, spouses, family members, children, neighbors, friends, pets, etc.

God has made us and our loved ones completely different people, and the many differences between us can prove frustrating when we are struggling to understand each other. But if we accept the differences between us and learn how to work with them effectively, we can build the close family/ relationships that  God wants us and our family members to enjoy.

How do we get “beyond differences” with loved ones?

Walk a mile in the other’s shoes”. The reason for many of the problems in our relationships is that we don’t take the time to stop and study the other person. We have been hurt, feel judged or defensive due to problems in the past. Understand the needs of your loved one.  Sounds self sacrificing right? In worldly terms, YES. In spiritual terms,  NO. God wants us to love one another as Christ loved the church. Difficult and impossible? Sometimes. I believe that if God knows we are striving to understand our loved ones and support them, we will be living according to His Will for us.  If we will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, He will show us what others need. And the end result is an unconditional feeling of loving and belonging to others through “thick and thin”.

FATHER GOD – THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING US DIFFERENT IN OUR INDIVIDUAL WAYS. HELP US TO CONNECT AND SUPPORT OUR LOVED ONES DESPITE DIFFERENCES. HELP US HAVE THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT YOU GIVE TO US. REMIND US TO HAVE A HEART OF UNDERSTANDING WHEN FACED WITH CHALLENGES INVOLVING LOVED ONES. THANK YOU FOR CREATING US TO “BELONG” TO OTHERS. AMEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having a Heart of Gratefulness for WHAT IS and WHAT IS TO COME

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" Thessalonians 5:18

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”  Thornton Wilder

Buster Morris, my grandfather; used Matthew Henry’s commentary many, many times when researching sermons. I feel privileged to use his book today. Mr. Henry, who was the eighteenth-century Puritan preacher whose Bible commentary remains among the most popular of all time, was once accosted by robbers while living in London.

We all have had things that happen to us that are considered “traumatizing, shocking, scary”—whether by having a car broken into or coming home to discover that our house had been burglarized. It’s among the most unsettling things that can happen to a person. I’m sure it was, as well, Mr. Henry. This is how he responded:

Let me be thankful, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

What a perspective! As someone has said, “If you can’t be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape.”

PRAYER PLUS THANKSGIVING EQUALS PEACE

I know a lot of women who suffer from a noticeable deficiency of peace. We are hurried from one activity to the next, work, children, housework, and the list goes on. I’m one of them sometimes. I’m not talking about a peace that equates to having a day with nothing on the calendar, plopping down on the sofa with a cup of hot tea, good book or a couple of hours of Netflix (lol). Not that this doesn’t sound inviting, but let’s be honest—that’s a rare occasion for most of us. The peace I’m talking about doesn’t require a mountain cabin or a getaway weekend. It can happen anywhere, even in the most hectic moments and places of your life.

FATHER GOD - THANK YOU FOR YOUR BLESSINGS EVERYDAY; THE ONES THAT WE NOTICE IMMEDIATELY AND THE ONES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED. IF THINGS AREN'T PERFECT IN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, HELP US TO HAVE FAITH AND BELIEVE THAT BLESSINGS ARE COMING OUR WAY. YOUR WAY IS STEADFAST AND TRUE. HELP US TO ENJOY OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS DURING THIS HOLIDAY. GUIDE US TO BE A BLESSING FOR OTHERS. AMEN.

 

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