October 4
Letting Go
of the Past
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger. Get rid of fighting and lying. Get rid of every form of hatred.
Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done."
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIrV)
The Thanksgiving table was full—turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, the works. Nina and Callum sat across from each other, both back home for the holiday, their childhood house feeling both familiar and distant now that they lived on their own. Their parents, grayer than he remembered, beamed at having their children home.
Callum should have felt grateful. But instead, the old bitterness simmered just beneath the surface.
Nina had always been the favorite. He had known it since they were kids. She got more leniency, more praise, more love—or at least, that’s how he saw it. And even now, sitting at this table as a grown man, the feelings hadn’t faded.
The conversation flowed easily—mostly between Nina and their parents. She shared updates about her job, her new apartment, her weekend plans. Callum barely said a word. It was like old times.
And then it happened.
“I remember when Mum and Dad let me go on that school trip to New York,” Nina said, laughing. “I was so nervous, but they encouraged me to go.”
Callum’s fork clattered onto his plate. “Right. Because you got to do whatever you wanted.” His voice was sharp, cutting through the warmth of the evening.
Their mother looked up, startled. “Callum, what do you mean?”
“What do I mean?” He let out a humorless laugh. “Nina got dance lessons. Sleepovers. Trips. I had to fight for everything. You treated her like she was special while I had to prove myself.”
Silence hung over the table. Nina’s smile faded. “Callum, I didn’t know you felt that way.”
His father sighed. “Son, we never loved one of you more than the other.”
“Maybe not,” Callum muttered, “but it sure felt that way.”
He expected Nina to argue. To tell him he was wrong. Instead, she looked…sad. “I wish you had told me this sooner,” she said quietly. “I thought you just didn’t like me.”
For the first time, Callum saw the situation from her perspective. She hadn’t been the villain in his story. She had just been his sister, living her life, unaware of the resentment building up in him.
But still, the anger wasn’t ready to let go so easily. “It doesn’t change what happened,” he said, his voice softer but still firm.
His dad put down his glass. “No, it doesn’t. But, Callum…your mother and I aren’t getting any younger. And life is too short for this.”
The words hit him harder than he expected. He looked at his parents, noticing the wrinkles around their eyes, the tiredness in their faces. They wouldn’t be here forever. Did he really want to spend their remaining years nursing a grudge?
Callum swallowed, glancing at Nina. She gave him a small, tentative smile. “Can we just…move forward?” she asked.
He hesitated. Then, with a deep breath, he nodded. “Yeah. Let’s move forward.”
That night, back in his childhood bedroom, he whispered a prayer. “God, I’ve been holding onto this for so long. Help me to let it go. Help me to love my family while I still have them.”
And for the first time in years, he felt lighter.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
I know how easy it is to hold onto resentment, to let past wounds shape the way I see others.
But I don’t want to live that way.
Lord, help me to forgive, to release bitterness, and to embrace the love You have given me.
Life is too short to waste on grudges.
Please teach me to cherish my family, to see them with grace, and to move forward with a heart full of peace.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
