Joyful homes aren‘t perfect, but they FORGIVE.
November: Post election, pre-Thanksgiving, 8 months into pandemic life. Raise your hand if you can use some forgiveness in your life right now! In a fallen world, families can only hope to stay healthy on a steady diet of forgiveness.
When we accept that we will need to forgive 70 x 7 times (sometimes in one day!), it saves us the stress of feeling like we “should be better” so that we can simply restore our relationships and move on with life.
This month, spend some time thinking about how your family approaches forgiveness. What small change would improve this aspect of your family life?
“The Lord’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not spent; They are renewed each morning.” Lamentations 2:22-23
Have you ever had one of those days in your house?
Where no one listened? You were late to everything? The soundtrack of the whole day was a chorus of whining and yelling? Join the club.
On these days, put your kids (or spouse or even yourself!) to bed and remember this:
His mercies are new every morning.
Because of His mercy, we can have the strength to forgive: our kids, our spouse, ourselves. Family life is not for the faint of heart, but we can live together in joy when we lean on God’s own mercy.
Tomorrow is always a new day.