“When a Mother’s Heart Grows Cold”

“When a Mother’s Heart Grows Cold”By The Artist ONE

I have a friend—an incredibly gifted, kind, and deeply heartfelt woman—who is going through a pain I can barely begin to put into words. She’s a multi–Emmy-nominated speaker, but even if she were not, even if she were simply a quiet soul in the back pew of the church, her grief would still demand to be seen.

Her father passed away recently. And at his funeral, she wasn’t even allowed to speak. Think about that for a moment. A daughter, robbed of her voice at her own father’s farewell. Denied the dignity of a goodbye. And the one who silenced her? Her own mother.

A mother who once bore her, now bares no room for her in her heart.

I have seen the letter my friend wrote to her mother—a letter full of grace and longing, reaching out for understanding, for peace, for some glimmer of motherly love. But it was met with silence, as if it hit a stone wall. Not just rejection. Complete dismissal.

And I can’t fathom it. I’ve never witnessed anything quite like this. It shakes me. Is this what a heart looks like when it finally lets go of someone it never truly embraced?

The mother, a renowned pastor and author, has built her name around a ministry called Mother’s Trust. A mission statement filled with beautiful words: “promoting peace and understanding, compassion, forgiveness, respect, and peaceful relationships among people of different beliefs…”

Unless you’re her daughter. Then, apparently, you can “piss off.”

I don’t mean to sound bitter. But how can we not ask: Where is the fruit?

Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16, KJV). And the fruit of this particular tree looks rotten at the root.

We’re told in the Bible that mothers are to be a source of nurture, comfort, and wisdom. “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother” (Proverbs 1:8, KJV). That implies the mother must teach the law of love and righteousness to begin with. A daughter should be able to look up to her mother for guidance, not look past her to find healing.

The Scriptures say, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26, KJV). But in this case, kindness was withheld. And it’s not just sad—it’s spiritually dangerous.

Could it be jealousy? Sometimes parents place their unmet dreams upon their children, hoping to live through them. But when the child blossoms in a way they themselves could not, it reveals a mirror too bright to look into. My friend shines with joy and goodness wherever she goes. I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. There’s nothing fake about her. She’s a rare soul—someone who leaves you better than she found you.

Perhaps the mother, seeing in her daughter what she could never fully become, could not bear the light. And instead of celebrating it, she sought to smother it.

This is not just family tension. This is spiritual warfare. The Bible warns us of times like this:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud…Without natural affection… despisers of those that are good…Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” —2 Timothy 3:1–5 (KJV)

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” That verse screams out here. A ministry full of lofty interfaith talk means nothing if it cannot practice love inside its own home.

And again:

“Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents…” —Mark 13:12 (KJV)

We are living in a time where Satan is targeting the very fabric of the family. These aren’t just personal feuds. These are prophetic fulfillments. And the church cannot afford to look away.

Let me say this clearly: I know the daughter. And she is not the problem.

This is a woman who, even in her pain, offers laughter to others. Who brings warmth into rooms that feel cold. Who gives even when she receives nothing. She is not perfect—none of us are—but she is kind, generous, real. Her mother should be proud. Instead, it seems she is threatened.

Until that mother humbles herself and asks for forgiveness—not only from her daughter but from God—bitterness will eat away at her soul like a cancer.

There is still time. God’s mercy endures. But the clock is ticking. The next time they see each other might be in front of a casket, not across a dinner table.

And oh, how tragic that would be.

Let us pray for healing. Let us intercede for this family. But let us also learn. Family is sacred. Mothers are called to be more than preachers and writers—they are called to be the love they speak of.

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” —Exodus 20:12 (KJV)

That commandment wasn’t just for the child. It was also a charge to parents to be honorable.

Let those who have ears to hear, hear.

Amen.