It’s been a while since I used my blog as a location to vent. It’s been a long time since I expressed frustration. It’s not that I’ve not been struggling with personal things. It’s not been that at all. It’s just that there’s more to life than me. There’s more to life than running to you all to vent all my hurts and pains and all the intricate details of my everyday life.
However, there’s something that’s been on my mind a lot lately regarding family. There’s something that’s been eating me alive as I consider the contrast between humanity’s sinful tendencies and the perfect character of God.
In some cultures, particularly the Jewish culture, if there is a huge disagreement (for
instance, if a Jewish adult marries a Gentile), there is a serious disowning that happens within the Jewish person’s family. Have you seen The Fidder on the Roof?
It’s so tempting in our humanity to practice this idea of disowning. It’s so easy to simply try to erase from our lives those whom we care about but with whom we are frustrated or by whom we’ve been hurt.
Imagine if God was like this? Where would we be? What if I, as his daughter, hurt Him (as I have numerous times in my sinfulness) and He turned His back on me? Where would I be but lost in my own sin (again)?
No, He looks at me with a love that is rooted and founded in His Son’s Righteousness (Philippians 3:8-9), so that “as far as the East is from the West, so far as He taken my sin from me.” (Psalm 103:12) He has cast my sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19)! In fact, He not only “doesn’t leave me nor forsake me”, (Deut. 31:6,8) but He is “…merciful toward [my] iniquities, and … remember[s] my sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
Who are you tempted to disown today? Who are you frustrated with and ready to start avoiding, leaving out, ignoring calls from, refusing forgiveness, or maybe really disowning? Take the time to dwell on the forgiveness of the Lord, His patience, unending grace, and mercy towards you, and love.
Making My Boast 
Thanks for this post, Ashley.
this is excellent – really. but there is also a time when you MUST – for the sake of your health, because it is tearing away at who God made you to be, because a relationship is destructive and abusive, that you must distance yourself from some relationships. There are very clear warnings in Scripture to distance yourself from an angry man…Prov. 22:24, Romans 16:17 It is very hard to realize that there is a time to ‘refrain from embracing ‘ (Ecclesiastes3:5) , especially with other believers, but I believe it is sometimes necessary. I just wish it wasn’t so.
I definitely agree! Forgiveness is a must. Unfortunately, there are some times when reconciliation cannot happen. 😦
A balance between forgiveness and healthy boundaries is key…but very hard. As I’m learning more and more though…life is all about balance. Thankfully I have a God who helps me with balance!