I had had an inharmonious relationship with my in-laws for many years. In fact, we did not talk to one another. One day my daughter met them in the store and nobody spoke. During her next visit to me, she related this and we both laughed over the awful things these relatives had done in the past.
After she left, I thought about our conversation and realized that this was not the way I should behave. I was trying to be a better Christian and more spiritually-minded, and I knew I shouldn't be happy to be so unloving. I knew I should at least be striving to do better. I tried to think of some kind things about these people, but I couldn't muster any emotions but bitterness and hostility. I decided I would turn to God and really pray and work on this.
As I prayed I realized I couldn't heal the situation without seeing my in-laws as God's loving children—which I knew is their true nature— and I couldn't seem to do that. Too much had happened; too much unhappiness had been experienced! For a couple of days I stuck to this point of view and felt a smugness that I thought was comforting and honest. Still, I knew this discord wasn't real according to spiritual fact.
