Rebuilding the Broken
Café Menu for Thursday, March 26, 2015
Today’s Special is: After the Conflict
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Carolyn Dale Newell
Main Ingredient:
Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”
Nehemiah 2:17 NKJV
Entrée:
There are no words to express the joy I felt when I received a text from my daughter. It was the first form of communication that we had shared in eight years. We have only been talking for about two months, so I am not an expert in rebuilding relationships, but I found it similar to the story of Nehemiah as he rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem.
First and above all, is prayer – continual prayer. That is where we find Nehemiah in chapter one. He knew the task ahead would be difficult. Rebuilding always is. Any contractor will tell you that it is easier and less expensive to build from the ground up rather than rebuild. The same is true when you work at rebuilding a relationship with a loved one.
Patience is necessary for rebuilding. It takes time and it cannot be rushed. Otherwise, you can end up with cracks in the foundation.
You also must be precautious. I carefully choose my words when we talk. I value her too much for a misunderstanding to create a problem. There are topics that we have agreed to disagree on.
Nehemiah had to be very guarded. In chapter 4, they worked with a tool in one hand and a sword in the other. Sanballat was ready to destroy their rebuilding and Satan stands ready to rip families apart.
Finally, you must be persistent. Rebuilding a relationship that has been broken is hard work. It takes determination.
Is there someone you need to reach out to? You can rebuild that relationship one stone at a time through prayer, patience, precautions, and persistence. Love will be the cement that holds it all together.
Take Out:
What relationship do you need to pray about? What are some precautions you can take to guard against conflicts?
Patience and persistence sound like opposites, but we must be patient with people while we are determined to never give up on them.
Dessert:
Dear Lord Jesus, we know that Satan loves to cause conflict. We lift up our relationships to You today and we ask You to help us rebuild. Give us the right words when we need them and grant us the wisdom to be silent when that is best. Help us love unconditionally as You have loved us. Thank You and Amen.
© 2015 by Carolyn Dale Newell. All rights reserved.
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