About six months after my mother died, I was in a serious car accident at the university. My legs, arm and neck were in traction. I was taken home, and my father came into my room and was very sober, because when they called him, he was drunk and thought I was dying. I will never forget his walking back and forth at my bed.
All of a sudden he just leaned over, because I was all tied in bed and strapped in with the cables. He blurted out, “How can you love a father such as I?” Lying there in bed like this, I said, “Dad, six months ago I despised you. I hated everything that you stood for.” Then I shared with him my conclusions about the Bible--why I believe it’s true and about Jesus as the Son of God. I said, “Dad, all I know is that I asked Jesus to forgive me. I invited Him into my life. As a result, I found the capacity to love and accept you and other people.”
Right there my father said to me, “Son, if God can do in my life what I have seen him do in yours, I want to give Him the opportunity.” You talk about joy. Most people do not have this much joy in a lifetime. I had it in one moment. Right there my father prayed with me. He prayed a very simple prayer and said, “God, if you are God, and Jesus is your Son, if He died on the cross for me, and if He can forgive me for what I’ve done to my family, if He can do in my life, what I’ve seen Him do in the life of my son, I want to invite Him into my life. I trust Him as Savior and Lord. I accept His forgiveness.”
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