Having Tough Conversations

This powerful message confronts us with a reality many of us face during the holiday season: the weight of unresolved relationships and difficult conversations we've been avoiding. We're challenged to examine the difference between keeping peace—which often means avoiding conflict—and making peace, which requires us to step into uncomfortable territory. The sermon walks us through a deeply personal story of family reconciliation, where one sister hadn't spoken to another for years after their grandmother's passing. What's remarkable is how one phone call in a Marshall's parking lot, initiated despite tears and awkwardness, completely transformed not just their relationship but the entire family dynamic. We're reminded that thermostats set temperature while thermometers merely read it—and we're called to be thermostats in our families, setting the tone for healing rather than passively accepting broken relationships. The message becomes even more urgent when we consider that some conversations can't wait; we may not always have another chance. The challenge is clear: identify that one person you need to reconcile with and have that conversation today, not tomorrow. Because on the other side of our discomfort might be the very relationship that changes everything—not just for us, but for the generations watching how we handle conflict and forgiveness.