Among God's great blessings to us is the love of our parents. Strong, patient and selfless. However, due to our failures, disobedience or carelessness, we sometimes wound our parents, and lose their trust or love for a period. Saying sorry is not enough, it is also a matter of changing the heart and behavior in order to be loved again by the parents. Ephesians 6:1-2 say, “Children: obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother. This is an illustration of God's love and care for our parents.
There was one time when I did something to make my mother sad. I did not listen to her, acting on my own judgment. On hearing this, she was upset and broken and stopped talking to me openly as she had done before. This made me feel very guilty inside because I knew that I hurt someone who loves me so much. It was the first time I had given much thought to my actions and I knew the importance of obeying and respecting.
In order to win her trust, I had to put myself down. I approached her, apologized with great sincerity and promised her that I would change. She was very quiet at first but I didn't give up. I started to make my difference in what I did at home, by listening more, and respecting her choices. Gradually, I began to see the glint of laughter in her eyes once more. It was through that experience that I learned—and I think I can say that I understood—that love can be reconstructed, when we are sincere and consistent in doing what is right.
The Bible also teaches us in Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Obedience is not only about rules, it's about love and respect. Another example is the prodigal son in the story of Luke 15:18-20. Sadly, the son disobeyed his father and squandered everything that he had, but when he came in a repentant frame of mind his father ran to welcome him with love. This teaches us that parents are sometimes willing to overlook a repentance.
To sum up, we must be humble, repent, and behave well to regain our parents' love. Saying sorry is not enough – you need to demonstrate it with actions. Parents are a gift from God, and we need to value them while we have them! I've come to understand that their love can be broken and yet be mended with patience, a sincere and changed heart, and by God's direction.