Wisdom from a Friend

This week started off full of stress for me. We moved this last weekend. I was tired. Our family wasn’t relating well and I wasn’t dealing with it well. Partly I was discouraged thinking that all the things we had worked on the past year were for nought. Monday morning God sent me a friend who was willing to listen and give perspective. Here is what I learned from her. First of all, be real. Be who you are. I felt like I could be real with her and to me that was a gift. I hope I can be that to others. Lesson number two was that just because you hit a rough spot doesn’t mean all your progress is in vain. And she was right. You can let a bump put you off the road completely or you can hold on tight to God and what you know is true and grow from it. It reminds me of Philippians 1:6 where Paul tells us that He who began a good work in you will complete it. The communication skills we had learned were still there. And that evening our family did use them to work through our issue.

I was also reminded that we as followers of Christ are in a spiritual war for our families and how am I fighting for my family. Am I taking my thoughts captive. Is what I am feeling true? Am I tired? Am I giving the other person the benefit of the doubt? Am I praying for my family? Is my love covering a multitude of sins? Am I bringing peace to my family?

I am thankful for God’s grace and love for me and my family. I am thankful for friends who are there to listen. I am thankful for a family who forgives and works things out. I am thankful for a God who never gives up on me.