The Cycle is Broken: Freedom from the Bondage of Bad Relationships

Lots of family members and friends of the family were in town a couple weeks ago for the retirement celebration of one of my uncles. We got together at one of my aunt's houses and were all having such a great time eating, cracking jokes and getting reacquainted.

As the atmosphere buzzed with conversation and laughter, I was happy everything was going well. Those who know my family are fully aware that most of the Petersons are not Christians or even casual churchgoers.  So when you mix alcohol and different personalities together, it has been known to get rough during some gatherings.

But this night, it felt like Christmas had come early. We stuffed ourselves with all our favorite foods and enjoyed the love and fellowship of family. I helped my grandmother and aunts in the kitchen. They talked about how “grown” I had gotten, asked me a bunch of questions, and shared stories of what they were like at my age. It was fun and I laughed a lot.

Well, as the evening died down, we all broke off into different groups. You know how it is. The men go off into their own circle. Some watch the game. Others play cards, sip on beers, or nod off. The ladies get together, talk about the men, eat, and cackle.

I ended up in my aunt's room after she asked me to hang her blazer. That’s when I noticed one of my cousins, around the same age as me, who lives not too far away, sitting in there watching TV. We hadn’t spoken in a while since God saved me. She told me she “couldn’t really get with all that religious Jesus-y stuff.”

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