Healing Broken Relationships
All relationships take work but, if the relationship is strained or broken, it might require even more effort. Want to repair a broken relationship, but not sure how to start? Greg Austen, a seasoned minister and NFI staff member, offers principles for beginning the healing process.
- Build something new; don't try to restore the past. If you need to seek forgiveness for past wrongs, by all means do so. But, the point here is to start a new chapter in your relationship rather than make revisions to a past story that had reached a sad conclusion.
- Listen long to their recent experiences- especially their feelings. People don’t care what you know until they know that you care. Listen first, talk last. Or, as the saying goes,"seek first to understand before seeking to be understood."
- Plan activities that foster togetherness. Don't see a movie or go to a concert or another event where you won't be able to talk. Instead, go to dinner together, visit a museum or other local attraction, or just go on a walk. Try to avoid activities that may have bad memories associated with them and make new memories as you go forward.
Be patient. Healing takes time, but it is possible, no matter what may have happened. Keep looking forward to the future and making efforts to reconnect and heal.