Dear God, hurt and closure are an interesting thing. Sometimes we are hurt and need closure and we don’t even realize it. Even if we are still maintaining a relationship with someone, if there is a lingering unaddressed issue between us it can still fester and steer the relationship in unhealthy ways.
It kind of makes me think of steps 8 and 9 in the 12-step program from AA:
Step 8: “We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”
Step 9: “We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”
I’m bringing all of this up because of the response some people had to the new video clip of Steve Burns addressing Blues Clues fans about why he left. Frankly, he was in character and he didn’t reveal any new information, but there was a visceral reaction for some people to get to see him one more time and have some closure. Some highlights of the Twitter reactions:
So some people had a reaction to Steve’s sweet and affirming video. They got closure on something that they didn’t realize they needed closure on. He left kind of abruptly. I remember being impacted by it myself when he left, and I was just a 32-year-old dad who watched it with his kids.
Of course, there are relationships in my life right now that are in need of some closure. In need of making amends. There’s one in particular that I think needs amends on my part, but I have no idea what my offense was. It frustrates me that the person won’t tell me the sin I committed, but whatever I have done, real or perceived, is obviously coming between us.
Father, help me to do what I need to do accept responsibility for the offenses I commit and to reach out to make amends when appropriate and when it won’t cause more harm than good. And help me to extend forgiveness to those who seek to make amends with me. Bring all of this closure for your glory’s sake. Use it to build unity in families, in your body, in communities, and in the world.
In Jesus’s name I pray,
Amen
Emails to God 