The love and appreciation we feel for our parents often go unexpressed in the busyness of our lives. Here are five essential things to articulate to your parents while the opportunity still remains.
Profess Your Love
Many of us might have grown up in homes where ‘I love you’ was rarely spoken. However, love isn’t confined to words. It thrives in the daily sacrifices and tender care that your parents showered on you. So, break the silence and say, ‘I love you’ – even if the words aren’t echoed back.
Express Your Gratitude
The Apostle Paul highlights ingratitude as a characteristic of the end times. Our world indeed seems less appreciative today. When did we last sincerely thank someone? The first people deserving of our gratitude are our parents. As life’s clock ticks away unpredictably, don’t delay in telling your parents ‘thank you.’
Apologize Sincerely
Three crucial phrases we should readily use are ‘I love you,’ ‘Thank you,’ and ‘I am sorry.’ Saying ‘I am sorry’ requires humility, an attribute that God cherishes. Apologizing lightens the heart and mends relationships. Therefore, when you err, swiftly apologize to your parents.
Acknowledge Their Discipline
No young child ever thanks their parents for discipline. It often takes adulthood, or becoming parents ourselves, to comprehend the value of it. Don’t wait to tell your parents that you appreciate their loving discipline during your formative years. After all, discipline is a tangible expression of parental love.
Ensure Them of a Heavenly Reunion
In the face of a parent’s imminent departure from this world, as believers, we don’t say ‘goodbye.’ Instead, we say ‘See you later.’ Our faith assures us of a reunion beyond the mortal realm (1 Corinthians 15). Remind your parents that nothing, not even death, can sever us from the love of God or each other in His Kingdom (Romans 8:38-39).
In Closing
God calls us to be humble, opposing the proud (James 4:6). So, let’s dethrone pride and honor our parents with heartfelt words of love, gratitude, and apology. Let’s value their discipline and reassure them of a heavenly reunion. After all, in the Kingdom of God, it’s never a final farewell, but always ‘see you later.’
