“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again” (Pro. 24:16). The white shelf hung high on our kitchen wall, proudly displaying the red antique dishes belonging to my late grandmother. Small cups, saucers, and plates stood at attention, perched against the plate groove as though they were snootily boasting their beauty. That...
“Charity suffereth long” (1 Cor. 13:4). I stood at an altar on March 15, 1980 and pledged my forever love to my college sweetheart. We sang a duet together for our ceremony (albeit it was on a recording, since I didn’t want my hunk of a man to pass out during our nuptials!). The song...
There’s a time to walk away from harmful relationships, but there are many times when you just need some space. When someone blows up, you may need to back away from them for a season. But never allow an isolated incident or difference of opinion be the cause of severing a meaningful relationship. Sooner or...
“Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3 Our pasts are places of reference, not places of residence. Once we have made amends, righted wrongs, and learned lessons, it is time to move on. How do we reconcile with others in the here and now? Make amends. If our homes...
Be ye kind . . . forgiving one another. Ephesians 4:32 Once we receive God’s forgiveness (vertical forgiveness), we can tear down walls between us and others (horizontal forgiveness). Resentment is a peace taker, but forgiveness is a peacemaker. It is always more rewarding to resolve a relationship than to dissolve a relationship. Our forgiveness...
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: . . . forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31–32 C. S. Lewis wrote that “forgiveness is a lovely idea, until you have something to forgive.” Yet forgiveness...