Healing and rebuilding relationships takes time and mutual commitment. What's the current state of your relationship with your parents and siblings? What's the level of ongoing dysfunction? How receptive are you to restoring a relationship with them? How receptive are they? Do they and you both have the communication skills to pull it off, or do you need a facilitator? Do you have the right attitude—a biblical mindset?

Join Pat Morley and honestly assess your current situation. Let's see if we can each have the attitude or mind of Christ about our parents and siblings. And if not, how can you get it? This could be the day everything changes for you—and your family!

Chapter 11: Rethinking Your Parents’ Story

To be sure, our parents are responsible for how they wounded us, whether they knew it or not. Maybe they were good people who made serious mistakes, or maybe they were uncaring, toxic, or even evil. Nothing can minimize, justify, excuse, or change that. What happened to you or your loved one happened.

But what happened to them? It’s a worthy question.

So far, we’ve spent a lot of time on what happened to you. Join Pat Morley as we now take some time to reflect on what happened to our parents. Unraveling what happened to your parents can illuminate what happened to you. It’s going to be a great day!

If your parents wounded you, they are responsible for that, whether they knew what they were doing or not. But without forgiveness, the future will look no different than the past.

Forgiving your parents is not dismissing what they did, or pretending that your wounds never happened. After all, there would be no need for forgiveness unless someone had done something wrong. So what does this forgiveness look like?

Join Pat Morley and explore the uniqueness of biblical forgiveness. Maybe your parents are living; maybe they aren't. Maybe you have a good or civil relationship with them; maybe you don't. No matter your circumstances, let Pat guide you through the method Jesus prescribes for forgiving. It’s going to be a great day!

Reflection and Discussion

1. How have you softened toward your parents, and why?
2. What might your life be like in 10 years if you don’t forgive your parents?
3. What makes biblical forgiveness unique?
4. Did you pray and unilaterally forgive your parents? How does that make you feel? If not, what’s holding you back?