Family relationships are a vital part of our life. The fifth and sixth chapters of Ephesians focuses on the family. Chapter five begins with Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love . . .
In our human, imperfect nature we have problems in family relationships. We make assumptions. We are self-centered.
Lisa Wingate has written a novel about family relationships, Tending Roses. The book is a tender story about faith and family.
The main character, Kate, makes a trip to Missouri, hoping to persuade her grandmother to go into assisted living. But Kate’s visit with her grandmother is prolonged. In the slowed down pace of life at the Missouri farmhouse, Kate begins to see past her grandmother’s quirks and crankiness.
As I read the story I appreciated the value of the different generations, their different perspectives. If we take time to pause from the business of life and really listen to each other we can learn. We can walk in love.
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Love this.
I’m going to see if I can find a copy of the book in our library.
Sounds like a book that many people need.
Doing the cancer thing (which is why I am writing this at 3am), I find that many people want to offer the tv melodrama (or sitcom, even worse) solution. They want to help, genuinely enough, but not to listen.
So many tears on cheeks do glisten,
and they go unseen on Zoom.
Vital words, and we don’t listen,
for it suits us to assume.
We see the films, take in the stories,
and paste thereon our loved ones’ faces,
denying them – and us – the glories
of individual graces,
taking rather writers’ pat
solution to a complex ode
composed through life, and only that
can illuminate the road
down which we should walk hand in hand,
all efforts made to understand.
Andrew, thank-you for your honest words.
I loved your post, Carol. It’s so true – we have to take time to listen instead of assuming, because we miss out and so do others. Thanks for sharing. Kath, visiting from FMF #2 this week.
Often at a funeral I will realize how much I didn’t know about a person. It reminds me how important it is to know people in life!
It’s so easy to only see life from our own perspective. it’s good to be challenged to reconsider our own ideas. FMF14
It’s very true that spending time with someone – even someone that you assume you know well – can open your eyes to new aspects of their characters. Thanks for your thought-provoking post.
Just popped in from #13
I enjoyed visiting your site with a thought provoking post!