“And, if when you are presenting your offering to the Lord, you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there at the alter, and go to your brother, be first reconciled to him, the give your offering to the Lord.” (Matthew 5:23-26)

But then, what do you do Lord, if a sister does not desire to be reconciled?  Then what?

Though I may have fulfilled my obligation to the Lord, my heart remembers the loss. Like shards from a broken mirror, the stab can come unexpectedly as memories of a friendship that is no more are triggered by a picture, a fragrance, or just seeing a car driving down the road that reminds us of that person.

Like a looking glass, broken, and distorting my image of world around me, is a relationship that is broken.

So, now, when all is said, and all you know to do is done – the hand, all bloody that has been holding-on to hurtful words, and emotions raw, finally opens wide and releases all to God.

And, it is when the hand releases that the mind realizes that holding-on, was simply trying to work all things in our own strength.  So often it is our working, and holding on so tightly, that drives the shards of a broken relationship deeper into the wound.

“From the Fellowship Offering, you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys.” (Leviticus 3:3-4)

The kidneys, the liver, the organs removing poisons from our bodies are thrown into the fire, as a Fellowship Offering to the Lord.  The inward parts where our emotions reside, can be poison to our relationship, with God, and with our friends giving a more graphic understanding of the phrase, “gut wrenching.”

How do we work through a broken relationship; a relationship that is in Real Life, one that is in your community or your church?

1. Never cease praying.  I realize that if you are a Christian, you have heard this song played so many times, and, perhaps with little obvious success.  But just recently I know of two women who did not speak for thirteen years, who were reconciled.  I guess sometimes, the emotions do not get on the alter right away for a relationship to be restored quickly.
2. Eat Crow and Try.  I know of a woman who, though she did not believe herself to be wrong, called the woman with whom there was a broken relationship.  The first try was not successful and was misinterpreted, but months later a second attempt was successful in building the bridge to a new relationship.
3. Place the inward emotions, that eat at your gut, on an alter as a Fellowship Offering.  Give those raw, wounded emotions to God. Allow Him to consume them in the fire of His love.  God is all about relationships and restoring them.  Isn’t that the whole point of Christ coming, to restore a relationship that we could not do on our own?

I am linking today with the (in)courage community; who are my friends in my virtual community and some who are also in my Real Life community!  Love you, my sisters!

Also, this is my first blog on my new website!  Have you had a chance to look around?  Please leave a comment, and on Friday, I’ll have a door prize for one of the comments chosen at random!

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Diane W. Bailey

Diane W. Bailey is the founder of The Consilium – an online community of wisdom and purpose for women over 45 years of age. She is a published author. Her books include String of Pearls – From Tears to Treasure, and 30 Days To A Better Stepfamily. She creates her own line of precious metals bracelets. Diane lives in the Deep South with her husband Doc. Together they have created a stepfamily, each having two stepchildren and two birth children, and share three grandchildren, one black lab named Charlie and one long haired tabby cat named Lil Girl. Diane’s passion is to encourage women to be all God has created them to be by pressing past fear and daring to live life as an adventure. Some of her life adventures include traveling to Israel, speaking, entrepreneurship and backyard farming with Doc. She loves Gumbo, fried shrimp and seeing all sunsets across water.

Latest posts by Diane W. Bailey (see all)

• What God Can Do with A Shattered Heart - September 5, 2022
• When It Is Time to Bring Your Ship Ashore - January 2, 2018
• Art Of Hospitality – How to Love Others As Ourselves - November 27, 2017

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