Key Bible Verses: … Someone has something against you … Go and be reconciled to that person (Matthew 5:23-24). Bonus Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:11-13

Several days ago I had to punish one of my daughters for her refusal to obey a simple request. After pronouncing the sentence of no television for several days, she stormed into her room yelling about unfairness and expressing her strong desire for a new father. Remorse and repentance were nowhere in sight.

I'd have been within my rights to allow her to suffer the consequences of her action—a stalemate in which she stayed in her corner of the house and I in mine. I could have decided not to talk with her until she came to her senses. But my love for my daughter and desire for reconciliation overshadowed my sense of justice. I went looking for her.

I knocked on her bedroom door. No answer. Quietly turning the doorknob, I entered her room and heard her sobbing uncontrollably. But I couldn't see her anywhere. She'd crawled underneath the bed. So I crawled under too. After calmly rehearsing her transgressions and why punishment was warranted, I reached over, pulled her close, and reassured her of my love and willingness to forgive her. In an instant our relationship was restored.

My Response: I'll quit waiting for ____ to make the first move. Instead I'll …

Thought to Apply: A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after a success.
—Source Unknown