As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

When I had written the devotion about the mercy of the Heavenly Father, a mail from a dear friend landed in my inbox. I read it with tears in my eyes. Yes, that is our dear Heavenly Father!
I find so beautiful that she has reconciled with her parents and now loves them from the bottom of her heart. This is only possible because Jesus helps us to forgive and makes it real. These are not pious feelings, this is reality: even with such a past, Jesus brings about forgiveness and love. Amazing how our Lord acts and how much power forgiveness has.
Do not let up! You too can get reconciliation with your parents through Jesus! HE wants it!!

Hello Frank,
I wanted to thank you with all my heart for the last devotion (the one about our Father).
Since I have been treated by a Christian psychologist, I have become aware of many things.
When I read your email, I knew God was speaking to my heart again, “I was there!” Something that I’ve only now come to realize in my treatment.
When I was about four years old, my parents built a new house. Shortly after we moved in, they used to go out drinking with their friends on weekends and leave me alone with my little sister. I remember being in our big, dark house one night looking for her. Sometimes I would go out into the street crying and call out to them. When they came home, my father used to beat me. He was drunk. Then one day they locked the door so I couldn’t get out.
The enemy likes to lie to children! “Be quiet!” “No one can hear you!” “You are a great burden!”
Then, many years later, and when the enemy voices were so distinct in me, at some point I loaded a 9mm handgun and got drunk. I turned off the lights in the house and tried to take my own life. I’d screwed up so much, my marriage… my friendships… my job. And that’s when I met Jesus.
I always knew He was there that dark night when I wanted to end it all. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized that the Lord was with me then too. He was with me in the darkness when I had this terrible fear. He was with me when finally my father came home and beat me. The pain that came from the beatings was better than the fear of being alone. He hit me once so hard that my eardrum burst in my ear. Strangely enough, I still have problems with it when I sit in an airplane …
But the Lord was with me even then. He was there, my good, loving Father!!! He saw everything and used everything … EVERYTHING … for His good (and still does!) … I have no bad feelings towards my parents. That’s the way it was.
Thanks, Frank. Thank you for listening to the Lord!!!! That he is so close to you and that you share him with us!!!

Oh Jesus, bless my good friend! And let her be a blessing to many! Help us to forgive our parents and to love them dearly. Thank You!!!