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Challenge.07
It's not always easy showing mercy to those closest to us. Spend an hour of quality time with your mom or dad. If they live far away, set aside time to make a phone call.

Response.01 - Jen C.

By sheer circumstance, Monday night found me at home. My sister was off gallivanting somewhere (Great Mall, I believe) and it was just me and the folks. Because I had a really long day at work, I considered just veging out in front of "Life in the Fab Lane with Kimora Lee Simmons." After all, it was only Monday and I had days before I needed to sit down and blog about Mercy Challenge #7. In the end, my conscience got the better of me and I decided that I should at least try it out.

I wandered over to the dinner table where my parents were sitting and they looked at me with a mixture of surprise and expectancy...as if I was about to ask them for something. Years of small group leading has taught me how to make the most of awkward situations so I tried to transition into conversation as naturally as possible. We spoke on things of little consequence, like the banana bread I decided at that moment that I was going to make with my mom, the vacation we are maybe going to take in two weeks, and the architecture/ad campaigns of the Beijing Olympics. It was (and always is) interesting to chat with them. Halfway through, I realized how little I must dialogue with them when I had to struggle and pause to find the right words to speak to them in a tongue I once knew so well.

Roughly an hour later, my sister pulled up to the driveway. For one reason or another, she and my dad began to argue moments after she had entered the house. Rather than deal with the tension, I went to my room. As I walked away from the conflict, I thought about how wonderful family is when nothing serious or personal is discussed. Funny how we create borders with those we are closest to. Actually, when I think about it, it's not funny at all.

Read Response.02

Read Response.03

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