Stopping the Cycle

READ: PSALM 34:17-18; ROMANS 6:6-8; EPHESIANS 4:26-32

Harper hid her head under the pillow. She couldn’t take another shouting match. Her parents were just warming up, and lately the fights had lasted late into the night before freezing into a contest of “whoever-talks-first-loses.”

Something was different. Usually about this time of evening, cabinet doors would slam before Dad made some quiet remark that made Mom explode. Not tonight. Suddenly the house was still. Harper ventured into the hallway just in time to see the front door slam. The car fired up and roared out of the driveway. Before Harper knew to stop her, Mom was gone. Just like that. Her nightstand was empty, and so was her closet. Harper didn’t see her mom a lot after that.

She tried to let it go—this ache and anger toward her mom that sometimes threatened to sweep her away. When she had to spend time with Mom for some unavoidable reason, Harper found herself unable to carry on a conversation without exploding in anger or freezing in stone-cold silence.

Finally, after an argument over hairspray that ended in the hottest words she’d ever shot at her mom, Harper locked herself in the bathroom.

She was glaring at her reflection when the thought hit her: “I’m turning into Mom.”

The realization sent her to the floor. Kneeling, she trembled as she prayed, “God, take this anger from me. It’s killing me. Remind me that I belong to You.”

Something melted around her heart, and she knew what she had to do. “Jesus, help me to forgive Mom. Thanks for showing me how she feels when she explodes.” Harper paused and then continued, “Give me Your love for her in the meantime...Because I can’t talk to her right now.” Sitting there on the bathroom floor, hugging her knees, she felt peace flood her. “Jesus, thank You for being with me even when I’m angry.” That truth gave her hope. • Rebekah Love Dorris

• What are some of the things your family struggles with? What are some of your sin struggles?

• Jesus invites us to bring all these sin struggles to Him. He is eager to help us through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus now. And if you want to dig deeper, read Ezekiel 36:26-27 and Galatians 5:13-26.

• Anger is not a sin in itself, but sometimes we give in to temptation more easily when we’re angry. If your family struggles with anger, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it?

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18 (NLT)