In-Law Relationships – Grieve the Lost Hopes and Dreams

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

─ Proverbs 13:12 ESV

When it comes to in-law relationships, you may feel like you’ve done and said everything you know to improve the relationships, and it still isn’t working. You may only be 10 percent responsible for where the relationship is now, but ask, “Can we have a do-over? I blew it. Will you forgive me?” They may say no; they may say goodbye. But you did what was right.

So, when you’ve done everything you know to be the person that God wants you to be, grieve the loss of the hopes and dreams for your in-law relationships.  Maybe you had a dream for a great relationship with your son or daughter-in-law, and it isn’t shaping up to be that way. Grieving is okay.

Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

So many of us live our lives in relationships, including in-law relationships, where hope deferred makes our heart sick and we have to live with it. When we do what’s right, we are being intentional, and our ultimate goal is to be intentional in how God wants us to be with our in-laws.

Today’s One Thing

Ask the Lord to help you grieve the loss of hopes and dreams you had for in-law relationships. Pray: “Lord help me accept the fact that there are things I can change and there are things I cannot change, and I know the difference, but I’m still going to be the right person and do the next right one thing.”

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