Disrupt discord.

Have you ever experienced a season where lines of communication were just off? You and someone you hold near and dear just cannot seem to be on the same page. Jokes or trying to take something lightly are taken the wrong way, whether it’s coming from you or them. Then feelings are hurt and silence or off attitudes begin to develop. This is a prime example of discord trying to plant a seed, and it sucks.

Discord will make you feel like you’re on an island on your own and cannot trust nor share honest feelings with those who have been proven to be tried and true. This then leads to either giving the cold shoulder, cutting off all reasonable communication, or even worse, going off, engaging in an argument, and saying things you’ll later regret.

When things seem off and discord takes root, it has the potential to strain and ruin even the best of relationships. In my experience, to avoid this from happening, it is best to take these moments with a grain of salt vs taking them to heart. You never know what someone is going through which may not have anything to do with you but can cause things to be taken a certain way. Or perhaps your approach or how you’re presenting your words are laced with a hint of something “off”, whether it’s tone or whatever (intentional or not).

To avoid lasting damage and hurt feelings, what I’ve experienced and found to help is lots of grace – me giving even more than the amount that I am seeking. You can also partake in silent walk-aways vs saying something you’ll later possibly regret – you can apologize but once words are out (leave the mouth gate), they are out there, risking the chance to wreak havoc, causing considerable damage.

No relationship is perfect, and no person is perfect. Views/perceptions change; feelings/emotions change, so when/if you sense something is off in communication with those you hold near and dear, it’s worth taking a pause, not assuming the worst, and guarding your mouth and actions from potential relational damage.

I am diligently working on walking this out… Staying encouraged, I hope you are as well!