Dear Pastor

Pastor, yesterday's sermon made an impact on me... especially the one part when you mentioned that your earthly father passed away when you were twelve and your brother was only five years old. Further to that, you added that you were very angry with your father for "leaving" you and your family at the stage when you needed him most. Along the way in whatever you do, you think of your father... how he would react if only he was there with you... the anger in you thinking that he abandoned you had left you with thoughts of suicide, being a teenager and all that...

I think I can understand you very well if others can't. I can remember my own anger and frustration when my husband left me with my three young kids of three, six and nine years of age. In just a matter of minutes, the father of my 3 kids left us.... in just a matter of some minutes, his heart failed him and he is gone from our lives forever....

My kids are now grown, youngest girl is 17 now, followed by my two sons of 20 and 23. Life is not easy in the earlier years when their father was not around.. BUT through God's grace and love, we managed to strive on... and it is actually not so difficult now... Whether it is my "shortness of memory" or "pre-dementia", if you ask me how tough life was, I really do not know what to say... Not that I cannot tell you, I really do not remember how tough life was during the earlier years. Perhaps our Lord has bless me with a short memory so that I will not think back with sorrow but to go forward with joy for Him...

But there is one incident that I could remember very well.... one of my ex colleagues came to my house a week after his demise... she was kind of emotional and in her anger, she scolded in front of my husband's picture... "You are very bad, leaving your wife and your kids behind!"

Well, Pastor, when you said you were angry with your father for leaving you, it is very well understood by me....

But as time goes by.... we know that everything happens for a reason.... God knows though we do not .... and we can be consoled by this Romans 8:28...

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.