I never imagined this would be my life—caring for my 97-year-old mother while navigating two siblings who both try to control me: one through icy silence, the other through bullying. If you’ve been there, too, you know just how lonely and tense it can feel. At my core, I want to honor God by reflecting Jesus in these difficult family relationships, but sometimes, the stress of caregiving and sibling conflict pushes me to my limits.
But as challenging as it may be, I believe God calls us to be His representatives, sharing His love and reflecting Jesus in all our relationships, including the difficult ones, and not only in church gatherings or mission trips. So how can we do this? How can we navigate these boundaries boulevards with grace, wisdom, and truth?
Simple acts like feeding my mom or talking through family memories became sacred spaces where I felt God’s presence.
That’s where Boundaries Boulevard comes in. Boundaries are about loving others and ourselves wisely so that everyone has room to breathe and grow. When setting healthy boundaries, we must first and foremost remember that our ultimate example is Jesus Himself. He faced opposition from His own family (Mark 3:21) and dealt with betrayal from one of His closest friends (Luke 22:47-48). Yet through it all, He showed unwavering love and compassion.
