A Relationship Rift Healed
About two and a half years ago, I was drawn
into a family dispute with someone I love deeply. Another relative and myself were staying with this person,
but he was so upset and "offended," we were asked to leave. Since that time, I had tried
unsuccessfully to contact the person by email and note, but to no avail. However, when I prayed and thought of
him, I could only think of the love I felt for him and the expectation of
reconciliation.
Recently, as I was working on some physical
challenges, I was awakened one morning by the line from the Bible which says
that if your brother has ought against you, you should leave your offering at
the altar and reconcile yourself to your brother. I had not been thinking about the situation at all, and
wondered if this message was from God.
I wondered how I was going to reconcile anything, as I felt my brother
had wronged me and, besides, would not talk to me.
However, I was obedient (after the third
morning). I called the person and
he answered! He was in a meeting
and said he would get back to me.
I thought I wouldn’t hear from him again, but true to his word, he
called back the next day. When we
talked, the words came to me to ask: "What can I do to make things
better?"
A conversation ensued which exposed many
misunderstandings. I realized that
the point was not who was right, but what was true (God's divine love for ALL
of us). I answered each point he
made with a statement to the effect that I would not knowingly do or say
anything to hurt him. He accepted
it as an apology (which it was, as I would never deliberately demean or berate
anyone). We parted in an
atmosphere of great relief and love.
Interestingly enough, as I was writing this, I got a loving email
response from him to my Easter message to the family.
I learned much from this experience. I learned, for instance, "what
cannot God do?" I questioned,
Why now? But I had not been able
to reach him before this. God
“knows the angels that [we] need, and sends them to [our] side," as Hymn 9
says. Also, I had been praying
about something else, but this relationship rift was healed. It really showed me that there is one Mind,
so "what blesses one, blesses all." I realized that we are not working on one challenge or
another, but are really working to draw closer to God. It reminded me of the line in Hymn 144
that reads: "In atmosphere of Love divine, We live, and move, and
breathe." I realized further
that there was only ONE atmosphere and so anything in it could be healed - and
was!