The Greeting Card Aisle

Twice a year, the greeting card aisle cuts me to my core.

But somehow in the span of 363 days, I forget. I walk to the aisle in good spirits and with good intentions, ready to pick just the right card for the occasion. But without fail, some 4 cards in, I remember. None of these cards will do. None of these cards speak my heart or speak to the brokenness of my relationships with my parents. Each beautifully designed card with its perfectly penned words of adoration pokes at tender spots of my heart, places I thought were healed, but places that clearly remain broken.

In my head a silent dialogue rages.

That’s definitely not true of my parent.

Gosh, I didn’t experience any of that.

Nope. None of that here, either.

After minutes of standing and searching, I resort to squatting. Clearly, this is going to take a while. As I continue to select-open-scan each card, I’m reminded the picture-perfect sappiness of these cards has never been my reality and it leaves me wondering, are there others out there like me?

Are there others that do this painful dance each year because they feel like they have to?

Are there others that experience the same emotional distress in the middle of the greeting card aisle?

Pause and Reflect:

Do you have a parental relationship that is strained or lacking? Do you yearn for a deeper, healthier connection?

Biblical Truth:

“He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will.” –Ephesians 1:5 AMP

Prayer:

Lord, You are the Perfect Father. Where our earthly parents may fall short, you fill in all the cracks of our broken hearts with Your unconditional love for us. You know us fully and completely, and still, You love us. We don’t have to earn Your love or approval, You freely give it. You don’t keep a record of what You’ve done for us and You hold nothing over our heads. Even when we don’t pour into our relationship with You, You never stop pursuing us. You care for us and You provide for us. You are reliable and true. Your love never fails. Lord, thank you for adopting us into Your family. I ask that today You hold us close as we navigate the complexities of our earthly relationships. May Your love overwhelm us so much that it overflows into the spaces where we need to extend grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.