What To Do When An Apology Is Rejected
/Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”- Matthew 11:28 NLT
Restless
Sarah crawls to her chair, defeated before she tries to connect with God. Her nights are filled with memories of conversations she’s had with her distant child. She hasn’t slept well for months.
They used to be so close. “What happened?” she wonders. She rehearses each conversation in her mind, doubting every word she speaks. “Should I have said this? Did I do it wrong, God? I was trying to do the right thing, but now I’m all alone.”
Hot tears stain her Bible as she continually rehearses the hurt. These thoughts run through her mind constantly, stealing her peace. She’s prayed, begged God and apologized so many times, yet her grown child remains aloof and unphased by her kind gesture.
Sarah strains to find the good in God’s Word. Hopelessness consumes her as she wades through her days in a continuous fog of pain, self-loathing, shame and doubt.
What’s a mom to do when a child won’t receive her apology? Where does she turn? How does she find peace and hope again after she’s been battered by one she’s loved deeply?
Complex Topic
This topic of apologizing is complex and difficult to navigate. Please know my heart is not to bring condemnation nor provide simple answers. Let’s wade through this topic together, extending grace as we go.
There are two camps when it comes to apologizing:
-The Prideful: They bristle and won’t budge and would never apologize to their grown children. I’ve seen it in families, and it’s caused irreparable harm in their relationship. There is distance and harshness all around.
-The Hopeless: They have apologized profusely and are left in a pile of brokenness, wishing they could change their relationship, but their child refuses their love and kindness. This is the most heartbreaking of all.
Most of us probably fall somewhere in the middle on our ability to apologize and see progress in our relationship with our adult kids. So let’s address the hopeless today because my heart breaks for these moms.
There is no greater pain than when you’ve humbled yourself before someone to apologize and they don’t accept your words. What are we to do with our bleeding heart? What does this mean for our relationship with our adult child?
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