A blessing for those estranged from a family member
Matthew 5:23-24
Think of your own family, or families you know, where someone has cut ties. The pain people feel in not seeing or connecting with their children, siblings, parents, grandparents, or grandkids can be overwhelming. In a word, estrangement can be agonizing. And in a family-owned business, where the dynamics of legacy, power, authority, loyalty, marriage, vocation, wealth, and family relationships are in motion all around you, it seems that the prospects for, and effects of, estrangement are multiplied tenfold. This healing blessing is for those experiencing estrangement and hoping for reconciliation with their loved one. (To listen to the blessing, click here.)
This seemingly unbridgeable gap between us years in the making crystallized in a decision to say, “I’m done with you.” A recurring slight, a repeated injustice, a revisited abuse actual or perceived, informs a life now lived in avoidance of any relationship. The soreness of rejection, the shame of failure, the simmering anger leaving either an inability or an embarrassment too great to speak of our situation. Now, years beyond the incident that broke us we aren’t sure how or if it’s even worth the arduous effort it will take to reconcile. As you pray for the healing of estrangement from a family member, may God grant you The courage to act on your desire for a different future The capability to hear the pain beneath your family member’s complaint The empathy to understand your family member’s feelings And the humility to identify and convey your own mistakes. May God bless both of you with Endurance for the long journey of reconciliation Sure-footing to avoid the minefields of the past A vision for a life together tomorrow And the will to discover a peace that lasts.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)
Prior blessings: For your estate planning efforts, for a family business gathering, upon the passing of a family business member, for rest, for the next generation’s return, for the senior generation letting go, and for the new year.