This week I had a meeting with one of our engineers and in that meeting he told me about a recent family breakthrough they had. Their relatives had been at odds with one another for decades, and would not mind one another at family gatherings.

He told me how emotionally drained he already was. However, he and his wife still reached out to them. He took a bold step and spoke to all of them about forgiveness and reconciliation; about why we could actually extend forgiveness. God Himself has already forgiven us. That bold step caused hearts to melt. They forgave and hugged one another. Over twenty years of anger and bitterness fell to the wayside. All, because one person embraced the difficulty and took a step of boldness. Lives were changed.

Thinking about that story, a few things come to mind.

First, we never give up on family, because we always fight for and believe the best for them; that God’s purpose will prevail in their lives. We cannot choose the family we are born or adopted into, but there’s a sovereign will in that. They will know us best, and may infuriate us the most. Yet they too, could be the ones who bring the most joy to us.

Second, forgiveness is always the way to go. Unforgiveness is such a heavy burden to carry; and, it is an unnecessary one at that. Unforgiveness bleeds through generations. We pass on an inheritance that does not bring any blessing. There is difficulty in extending forgiveness, but only in such can there be true freedom in relationships.

Finally, always take that step of faith and courage. It is never the easiest thing to step out and confront, yet the risk is  greater in not doing anything. To step out in courage could open doors with limitless possibilities, because, we could always trust in God and know His grace will see us through. For His grace is always sufficient.

Beyond that border of faith and courage lies all the blessings and joy the relationships we have can bring. These relationships are a gift and they need to be nurtured and cared for.