There seems to be a growing, widening gap between generations today. Young adult children are turning their backs on their parents. They won’t talk to them, come home on holidays, or be an active part of the family. Most moms experiencing this gap were caring, loving, and sacrificial when their children were growing up. It is baffling to me why some adult children won’t even acknowledge their parents anymore, yet this is a reality.
These mothers’ hearts have been damaged by separation and rejection. I think it’s hard for children of any age to realize they can cause pain so deep it’s as if they shot an arrow into their mom’s heart. Sometimes, there is apathy when the adult child is confronted, and other times angry, justified responses that feel sharp and piercing. They break their mother’s heart. After such harsh, tough conversation, a mom may fall into a heap and cry.
Those mom’s thoughts may include: I sacrificed my time and finances so my child could have a fruitful life. I loved him, fed him, cared for him, and drove him a million places. Now my adult child doesn’t want to spend time with family anymore. This can be so hurtful. Such pain can be gut-wrenching, lasting, and seemingly unfixable.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
Psalm 34:18
God sees a mom’s pain. He knows of every broken heart. Somewhere along the way, one has to stop trying to fix the relationship . We need to take on the “Father’s” role in the Prodigal Son story. Stop pursuing and wait until they come back.
Moms have tried all their resources to fix the relationship and fix their hearts. No amount of chocolate could repair the brokenness they feel. They stop fixing, but their hearts are still broken. The Great Physician (God) needs to heal that broken heart. When one goes into have surgery, you are required to sign the papers to give consent. Then the preparations for the surgery start, and they put you under. When you are under, you have no control. Likewise, you need to give up control so God can be in ultimate control.
When we give up this control to Jesus, we feel God doing the repair in our hearts. We then spend time resting in recovery and thankfully, the pain begins to diminish. The damage from the rejection and hurtful words get repaired; then a Christian mom’s heart needs rest and recovery. Mom needs to let things be, so they can heal from all of this.
We may be still waiting for our child to show up on that dusty road returning home. Like the Father in the prodigal son story, we will run and hug and welcome home again the prodigal. We need to have faith that this will one day happen. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 Yes, it takes faith to believe what we cannot presently see. Faith.
As moms, we need healing, so we are not resentful, hurt, and holding grudges when prodigals come home. Our heart needs to be right, so we can welcome and accept them back wholeheartedly.
If you are a mom whose heart has been broken by rejection or apathy, let me pray for you. First, pray the following prayer, then fill out the prayer request form below. I’d love to pray for you personally.
Dear God, who is my Great Physician,
My heart is broken by how my adult child is acting right now. I have tried to fix the situation. I have also tried to self-diagnose to see what went wrong. How could this have happened in our loving family? I realize I can’t fix this, and my heart hurts badly. I give my consent for You to do Your healing work in me. Please heal my heart completely and make me whole again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Consider sending this article to a mom whose child has broken their heart. God can heal broken hearts and broken relationships. Let’s pass on wisdom and healing.
God heals.
Kim
Consider reading the next couple blogs in this series.
What do we do with the regrets we have for not being everything we wanted to be for our children?
Moms have to undergo a holy process for this healing.
Love never gives up. Often, we have to accept that there is no current relationship with our offspring, but that doesn’t mean we give up. In the story of the prodigal son, the father was keeping his head up.
Love endures through every circumstance. Yes, every circumstance, even estrangement. This may be the greatest test. While the children were still young, we were tested by the first part of the love chapter.
Grown children abandoning their mothers is all too prevalent. It is so hard to wait for these prodigals to come home. We love them so much and want to be with them. Meanwhile, our hearts are crushed by the extended separation from our precious loved ones.
Other articles you may enjoy:
Jesus our Anchor
The Hope For Tomorrow
Praying For a Friend Who’s Hurt You
Anxiety is a Trap
Good Health,
Updated: 1/12/26