CHRISTIAN PARENTS of ESTRANGED ADULT CHILDREN Community Group
Estrangement makes it difficult to talk about with family, friends, neighbors and church members. Christians are NOT immune to broken families. Talk about your experiences with those who know how you feel and get positive support through your Christian faith...."In these last days difficult times will come, for men will be lovers of self...disobedient to parents,...
GM new here...wondering if others christian parents experienced what i have...since this last estrangement with my oldest daughter i have also become estranged from God...my only sister died this past summer and her death brought on the estrangement between my daughter and myself...she betrayed me and i am having such a hard time with the betrayal..she is well aware of the betrayal and when confronted she basically didn't care..either this betrayal was done on purpose to hurt me or flat out she doesn't care that she is hurting me....i just can't wrap my mind around either of the reasons why she did...i am not angry with God but i was so faithful with my prays and always seeking God in my life...my life has totally been turned upside down since last april and the betrayal after my sisters death by my daughter was the last thing i could handle...and i have just turned away from God...i know he is there and always in my mind and again i am not mad at God just in a state of being numb to him i guess you can say...its hard to explain it..
Prayers are different now. If anybody knows firsthand that prayers aren't answered our way, it's my husband and me. That drastically changes the landscape of a prayer life, or so it has for us.
Are you familiar with the contemporary Christian singer, Chris Rice? His song, Big Enough, has helped me in any number of moments (or long periods) where I've not only questioned God but have, as all "good" Christians do, feared the consequences of them. In Chris' lyrics there is the suggestion God, as our heavenly Father, is surely big enough for the questions that come the result of being mere humans, in pain and confusion more often than not, especially when life's getting the better of us.
In faith, I have to believe my God is loving enough to hear my hurt and disappointment, taking it all in as an earthly parent would. If I could hear His words, I'd like to believe they'd sound no different than those I'd offer my girls, "It's going to be alright. I know you don't believe it right now, but eventually you'll see I'm right."
Here are the words to Chris Rice's song, Big Enough. Hope it helps, along with the knowledge someone else absolutely undertands the way you feel. I truly do.
None of us knows and that makes it a mystery
If life is a comedy, then why all the tragedy
Three-and-a-half pounds of brain try to figure out
What this world is all about
And is there an eternity, is there an eternity?
God if You’re there I wish You’d show me
And God if You care then I need You to know me
I hope You don’t mind me askin’ the questions
But I figure You’re big enough
I figure You’re big enough
Lying on pillows we’re haunted and half-awake
Does anyone hear us pray, "If I die before I wake"
Then the morning comes and the mirror’s the other place
Where we wrestle face to face with the image of Deity
The image of Deity
God if You’re there I wish You’d show me
And God if You care then I need You to know me
I hope You don’t mind me askin’ the questions
But I figure You’re big enough
I figure You’re big enough
When I imagine the size of the universe
And I wonder what’s out past the edges
Then I discover inside me a space as big
And believe that I’m meant to be
Filled up with more than just questions
So, God if You’re there I wish You’d show me
And God if You care then I need You to know me
I hope You don’t mind me askin’ the questions
But I figure You’re big enough
I figure You’re big enough
‘Cause I am not big enough
THE WELL by Casting Crowns. You can find a lot of good Christian songs on the internet, through google and youtube.
John 4 1-54, Isaiah 49:10 John 6:35 and John 7:38
The woman at the well thought she was standing by a well, and talking to a man.
In reality, she was standing by a hole in the ground; she was talking to the well, She thought she already had her source but she was in fact dying of spiritual thirst. We often come to the Father with our well. We already have our own idea of what will fill us. Then we ask God to bless our ideas, our source, our well, but we soon realize
Please know that God is always there for you, even though you may not feel it.
Faith is not a feeling, although most times we come to realize how much we need Him in our life when we go through the worst type of life expreriences, and the ugliest of feelings.
He is always there, waiting to be our Helper, our Defender, our Best Friend.
I would encourage you to find a Bible to read...or you can easily find God's words online, just make certain you are reading from the Holy Bible.
The experiences I have had through my life, has shown that whenever I fall away from God and His ways, it's because I stopped reading His Word. So, I encourage you to get back into reading all about how much He loves you and wants to be there for all of your needs.
Another song for you to check out is called: "The Well" by a group named: "Casting Crowns"
This song is based on John 4 verses 1-54. A good place to start reading again.
Some (not all) of the lyrics of the song:
"Leave it all behind and come to the well...Your pursuit of perfection (leave it all behind), your fear of rejection (leave it all behind) your temporary pleasures (leave it all behind), ......all the guilt that weighs you down..(leave it all behind) Just leave it all behind and come to the well."
Praying for you today and hope you get a chance to check out some really good Christian music to help you and that the Lord quenches your thirsty soul.