She could hear the intake of her brother’s breath as he sat beside her. She knew he hated conflict but didn’t care. Some things were worth fighting for and she was tired of the façade.
“I said, why—” She was about to repeat the words with an added measure of sarcasm, but they were cut short by her father’s stern warning.
“Lorena! Don’t you dare talk to your mother that way! You can see she’s upset. Please, give her time to heal and don’t make this worse.”
She loved her father but hated the way he always gave in to her mother. Lorena muttered under her breath.
“What did you say?” Again, her mother turned. Her eyes flashed dark with anger.
“Leave it, Lana!” Tom demanded. “Neither of you are able to communicate right now.”
“I will not leave it, Tom. Our daughter is insolent and rude, and you expect me to put up with that?”
“I want to know what you just said, Lorena, and I want to know now!” Her voice brooked no argument from any of them.
Lorena didn’t care if it hurt her mother. “I said that you worry more about what your friends think than you do about loving your own sister.”
“My sister’s actions were disgraceful, from her promiscuous behavior to the truckload of lies she so easily spewed. Her behavior is appalling and disgraceful, and I don’t even know who she is anymore.”
“What about forgiveness, Mom?” Lorena couldn’t control the desperation that laced her voiced. “Doesn’t being a Christian mean that you love her enough to forgive?”
“Don’t you dare lecture me on forgiveness.”
Tom tried to intervene. “Lana, please, leave this for now.”
“I don’t need a mere child instructing me on how to forgive. She knows nothing about real life.”
Lorena was glad when the car turned into the driveway. Everything within her cried out for escape from her mother’s judgmental words. She couldn’t in good conscience sit and listen to one more unkind remark, knowing that every word her mother spoke against Anna could as easily be directed her way. It hurt to know that her mother’s love was so conditional. Joel was right, there was only one solution. With defiant determination, she decided what she must do.
Anna lay in bed after a busy day with Melody but couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned for a bit and then got up and made a cup of tea. Turning her computer on, she checked out Facebook until she felt the nudge of the Spirit.
“Okay, God, I hear you.”
Liberated with forgiveness, Anna could feel her old joy return, along with her prayer life.
Pray for your family.
“Yeah, that one hurts, God. I thought my sister had forgiven me when she showed up at the hospital, and Mark too, but as soon as I was on the mend, they both disappeared. And since my public confession, God, Lana has treated me like the plague. She won’t even sit with me in church anymore, insisting I use the pews designated for mothers with young children, And I haven’t heard a peep from Mark.
“But you know all this. I lift them up to you, Father. I don’t know what they need but you do. Help me forgive. Help me to stay soft so I don’t get bitter.
“Oh, and God, thank you so much for Jason. The way he loves his little sister and is so affectionate with her, and the way he’s forgiven me is truly a gift. Thank you, God, for mercies I do not deserve.”
Hey, Auntie, I see you’re still up.
A message pinged on her Facebook account.
Go ahead my child, this is a divine appointment.
“Yeah, God, she’s been messaging me a lot lately, talking about Christians as if she is not one.”
Anna shifted from prayer, took a sip of her tepid tea and answered.
You bet. How are you, Lorena?
Confused.
Anna figured a lot was said behind that one word and answered with question marks.
???
Is it okay for Christians to gossip and turn others against someone?
Lorena, I think you know the answer to that one.
Yeah, well, why then does my mom spend hours on the phone with Mark and others chatting not so nicely about you?
Oh, God, what do I say now? This hurts. But I’m not going to get into a discussion with Lorena about my son and sister, or I will be doing the same thing they are. I need wisdom.
The messages were coming one after another.
And what about forgiveness? Isn’t this a basic Christian principle? They sure haven’t forgiven you.
Yes, Lorena, but life isn’t always figured out in a day. I was often judgmental of people too—having lived a good life for many years. It wasn’t until I failed miserably that I fully understood the sacrifice of Jesus and what it meant to need forgiveness in a big way. I learned that lesson the hard way, so I know what your mom is going through. It hurts when people we count on let us down, and I let your mother down.
And she’s not letting you down now?
Anna agonized over how to answer. God, it would be dishonest to answer anything but yes to this question. Lorena is an astute young adult and I’m done with lies. So, what do I say?
Anna smiled at the way God gave her the words to answer that would not disrespect her sister.
People let us down, Lorena, but God never does.
Isn’t it supposed to be different with Christians? I find more love and acceptance from my non-Christian friends than I do at youth group or at home.
Anna could read the hurt between the lines. The conversation had switched from Anna’s situation to Lorena’s and had become personal.
Tell me, Lorena, why do you feel that way?
No answer.
Hey, Lorena, you still there?
Still no answer.
Anna now knew why the Spirit had her up this late, so she prayed.
A week later Anna received another message from Lorena.
Can I come over and see you, Auntie? I could take the bus after school, but Mom
