Dementia for 2

As many of you know, my sister and I have been estranged for many years. We live less than 30 minutes from each other, but, have not spoken in over 5 years.

In the beginning, I wrote her several letters speaking about repentance and forgiveness and the need for all of us to do just that. Repent and forgive....two of the hardest things for a person like me to do.

She eventually sent all the letters back to me with a letter of her own. In a nutshell, she told me that she did not desire any communication from me and I should apply what I had written to my own heart. Little did she know that God had already been doing just that very thing.

About a year ago give or take, God decided that I needed to open this door again. So I called her. This was very hard for me to do. I did not want her to blow up on me and start rehashing all those hurtful things we had done to one another over the years. But, I knew that if that was the way God wanted it handled, then that is what would be done. The conversation was short and she assured me that there was no unfinished business between us. Still no reconciliation. I had decided that we needed to talk about things from the past so we would not repeat them again should we ever decide to try and mend our relationship.

Today there is a knock on my door. My sister is standing there waiting for me to invite her in. I did hesitate because I immediately thought she would not be here unless something had happened to my mother. When she came in she immediately hugged me close and apologized for her part in our torn relationship. We discussed how she came to be at my house that morning and why I had done the things I had done in the past to try and reach out to her.

What is so ironic about all of this is that we did not rehash the past. She did say that if I felt it was necessary for us to discuss any wrongs that she may have done to me that we would but, she just wanted to wipe the slate clean and move on from here. As I am writing this, I think of what Corrie Ten Boom said about our sins. God puts them in the deepest lake with a "no fishing" sign. When she was done I could tell she was bracing herself for the worst. But, I did not feel the need to bring all that old junk up. I knew that she was in my kitchen because of her obedience to God and that was all that mattered.

To those of you with broken relationships, I would say this: Don't give up and don't stop praying. You can own your part to God and repent. But you must be willing to do what He desires of you to truly have peace. God will most definitely do the rest!

I know because today He gave me a most precious gift......my sister. I know that He is the binding force in our relationship now and it will truly be what it should be because of Him. Praise God!!!!!