I grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as an 8 year old. My Dad was a preacher when I was growing up, and I watched he and my Mom live their Christian walk. Then one day my Dad gave into temptation and had an affair. The pain it caused me and our family was devastating, and, as a result, I turned my back on God for many years. I was angry with God for allowing this to happen! As I grew up, I decided it was better to be far from the hypocrite that I saw in my Dad’s weakness. My Mom consistently prayed for me and would talk to me about my relationship with God. For better than 15 years she would she did not stop! It wasn’t until my Dad was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and lay upon his death bed that I realized how important a relationship with God was. Here I was adamantly opposed to God and I found myself asking my Dad if he had asked God to forgive him for the mistakes he made. He assured me that he had and then made a statement that echoed in my mind for months, “Doug God is not only for me but for you too”. Months after his death I kept hearing his words until I finally visited Lakeland and eventually rededicated my life to Christ in my early 30’s. God can restore broken families and heal any wound. He is faithful to answer the persistent prayers of parents!
God has been faithful to me and my family. He blessed us with a son named Pete when we thought all hope was gone on our ability to have children. I am challenged daily to be a Dad that teaches the ways of God to his son. I must tell you I have been challenged by my Pastor to be a spiritual leader of my family. Children see you even when you’re at your worst. God is teaching me to be dependent on him and challenging me to be more outspoken about my faith. An area that our family is working on is hiding his word in our heart so we can recall it when tempted. It is difficult but an exercise that we feel is worth the effort!