Spring is marked by endings and exits. For people in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the end of the school year. Are you graduating? leaving home? getting married? If so, consider scheduling an exit interview with your parents.
Human resource departments in healthy businesses perform an exit interview when an employee leaves the company so management can learn how it can improve.
Healthy families might perform a type of exit interview when a child leaves home to provide an opportunity for parents and child to offer one another forgiveness. It’s a chance to excavate any hurts that are buried and wrap them in grace. That will prevent the stench of unforgiveness from permeating the relationship. Just like you wouldn’t pack dirty laundry for a trip, you don’t want to move trauma or stinky memories into the next chapter of your life.
We are preparing for an exit interview with our oldest child, who will be getting married. I’m a little nervous about it. I know I’ve missed the mark as a perfect parent. I’ve modeled a lack of self-discipline, gentleness, patience, kindness, love … well, all the good fruit. But by the grace of God, I’ve also modeled repentance, forgiveness, and an utter reliance on the Lord.
I don’t need to be nervous because “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Thankfully, my final review is not based on my performance but on Jesus’ perfect one.
