This series of posts is winding up. It’s a story of abandonment to hope in my personal relationship between me and my earthly father. But it’s a metaphor for the Gospel too.

As I’ve covered previously, the wound of abandonment led me to restlessness; which mercifully led to a release of the Spirit, finally resulting in me being reconciled to my earthly father, the original source of my abandonment.

Once God released me of my anger I immediately felt compassion toward my earthly father. My hatred and bitterness toward him were gone. Compassion replaced hatred.

So, I tracked him down shortly thereafter. I wrote him a lengthy letter in which I told him I no longer hated him, in fact I actually loved him. I shared the power of the Spirit of God to change my life (with hopes of it changing him too), and urged him to allow me to come see him. I wanted him to know his grandchildren, and my wife, whom he had never met.

God’s timing was perfect. I had learned my father was dying. I was excited but afraid to go see him honestly. Would he accept me or would I be rejected and abandoned again? Though the fear was strong, the hope of reconciliation was stronger.

I took my then ten-year old son, Matthew, with me on October 13th, 2001 to southern Indiana. We found his apartment and parked the van. I turned off the engine and asked Matt if he was ready to meet his grandfather for the first time.

We found his apartment number 808, and knocked on the door. We heard some rustling behind the door, then it swung open and the one who had abandoned me opened the door (and his arms) to welcome me into his life! It was almost more than I could bear.

Instantly, God reconciled us in spirit and heart. My father’s eyes and arms spoke of tenderness and acceptedness. It was a moment I had been waiting for almost 40 years! It was a grand moment that culminated in a journey from abandonment to hope.

Father and son were together!