(This post was written by Chuck Carringer, Pastor of Family Ministries)

Everyone has likely had the experience of getting a pebble in your shoe. One moment you are walking along and the next you realize something isn’t exactly right. Depending on the size of the pebble you may have tried to continue with your activity without stopping to get the pebble out. Sometimes the pebble is so uncomfortable that we immediately stop what we are doing to remedy the situation. Our family relationships can sometimes get a “pebble in the shoe”. You know what I mean, there is something a bit off in the relationship. This can be husband/wife, parent/child, brother/sister, etc. What do you typically do? Do you keep going without addressing the problem or do you stop and repair the relationship? For me, the problem with not addressing the issue is that like a real pebble in my shoe, it doesn’t repair itself. At some point I have to address the problem or be willing to continue to be uncomfortable.  The problem with settling for the uncomfortable is that most of the time it progresses to something even more damaging or destructive than just uncomfortable.

Our family relationships are our most important earthly relationships. They are also the ones that endure the most stress. Let’s not ignore small, but uncomfortable, issues and allow them to become major problems. At the right time (privately, prayerfully and soon) and in the correct way (in love), address the situation. How many family relationships are fractured today because the people involved are not willing or do not know how to address the problem…the pebble in their shoe? God can restore and repair damaged relationships. I am not willing to damage or diminish my relationship with my wife or children because I ignored the first signs of trouble. Let’s take the first step by dealing with the pebble in our shoe.

Do you have a “pebble in your shoe” when it comes to your family relationships?