It Has a Purpose!

     Do you have bad situations that have created hurt in your life? Have you let God heal you? Have you forgiven? Have you seen God work it out for good?

     Some of you already know that I have not had the best relationship with my birth father. My mother and my birth father were mere teenagers when I was born. My 17 year old father was not ready to be a father and my parents’ marriage only lasted months. My mother was a wonderful, single mother. She worked hard to provide for me all by herself. She remarried a few years later and her new husband adopted me and became my father; since my birth father was no longer involved in my life. He was a wonderful father to me and I love him very much, but I always felt emptiness in regards to my birth father. My birth father became a successful man and a good father to two children. I met him for the first time when I was a freshman in high school. We have since had an occasional communication but we really never got past the ‘I have done you so wrong’, ‘I forgive you’ stage; until recently. Last September, I met with him face to face for the first time in twenty years. Since then, we have communicated approximately five times and we just had normal chit chat conversations, which is a first. One thing I have always done is to try and forgive him and never let a seed of bitterness grow in me. I think many times he wishes I would just hate him so he wouldn't have to face the issue. My forgiveness of him keeps the responsibility of this relationship on him. One of the hardest things for me is to not know my half brother and sister. They do not know about me and I pray that someday that changes.
     Sometimes, this situation has been very hurtful for me and hard for me to deal with. However, God has always been faithful to help me forgive and heal. Last week in the village, I saw God take this situation and work it for good for His glory! We were asked to share our family testimonies to the Peruvian children at the school we ministered in. Brittne encouraged us to share whatever we felt comfortable sharing and what God laid on our heart. Everyone shared perfect family testimonies except me. I felt very led to share my experience with a father that is suppose to love me but whose actions say he doesn’t. I shared how I have had three fathers and how my first father left. I shared how I had to learn to forgive in order to have peace in my heart. The school teacher followed up our testimonies by encouraging the children to practice forgiveness and to count their blessings for the people God sends to fill in the gap of parents who fail. Peruvian families are in bad shape. They are where our families in America are headed. The school teacher shared with us later that several students came up to him and shared how they had thought they were alone in their situations but now they realized that others can understand their pain. Praise God! Just as he promises to do; He took something bad in my life and used it for good in the lives of others! It at least brings some purpose to the hurt! All I had to do is to trust and love Him!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28