Hello, and Happy Sabbath. I hope that you have a blessed day in the Lord ahead of you!

Yesterday I was reading a story about a family whose husband/father passed away unexpectedly. The teenage daughter couldn’t understand why this happened, and begged for God to help her.

His answer was to lead her to the fact that He was her Heavenly Father, and that He would always be there for her. She could always trust Him to lead and guide her.

The years went on, and the family flourished. God bound up their wounds and held them in His arms. He truly was a Father to them.

This story stood out to me because while my father did not die, he is not in my life. Oh, how I wish he was. But over time I have seen the protection and provision my Heavenly Father has given me when my earthly father was absent.

I’ve wondered just how much to say about my parents…as the Scriptures say, I want to honor them with my words. At the same time, it is not wrong to speak the truth about situations we have lived through.

My home life as a child was very volatile. My father wasn’t necessarily physically abusive, but he would damage our home and yell profanity when he was angry. You didn’t want to come across him when he was angry! Looking back, I see that my mother was definitely partially to blame. He would spend months living in the basement away from us and would say that my mother gave him stomach ulcers. She was very controlling and manipulative. As an adult, I understand why he felt like he did. This is one of the reasons why I am so passionate about seeking the Scriptures, and learning what I can about Biblical womanhood.

When they would fight, it was difficult. It would usually end with my mother and little brother huddled in a corner with me standing up to him as he screamed profanity in my face.

Time went on, and when I was 16 my parents divorced. My mother did what she could to turn my brother and I against him. He stopped paying our utility bills so our electricity was cut off on us. It was a very difficult time in my life. I felt like I had to do what I could to hold everything together, and all I wanted to do was run!

After that, my father tried to have a relationship with me. He really did. I tried too, in a way. But in another way, I was done. Over time, we’ve completely lost contact with each other. I believe he lives on the other side of the country now. I tried to contact him once or twice over the past five years, but have heard nothing back. I would like to apologize for the wrong I have done in the relationship.

I harbored bitterness, and I need to apologize for that. Another huge thing that I feel terribly about is that my father did pay for my wedding, but I felt so awful about family dynamics on that day that I didn’t take any pictures with him and my mother walked me down the aisle. How incredibly disrespectful of me! I need to beg his forgiveness for this.

At times, I really grieve not having an earthly father in my life. Even as an adult. But I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father is always near. He loves me. He has redeemed me. And He feels the same way about you, too.

We can know that despite the wrongs we have done and our shortcomings, we can always come to Him. He will never turn His back on us. He will always welcome us home with open arms!

I would like to share the first half of The Parable of the Prodigal Son with you now. This is a picture of God’s love for us.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.  And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:11-24

We just need to come to Him with a heart of repentance. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done. Our Heavenly Father is waiting to welcome us with open arms.

I hope that you feel welcomed and loved by our Father today. He loves you so much!