Our Story (Part 3)

This is the final part to our story. Not really, but it is for now. Clearly, it will continue to unfold for quite some time. But this is the final part that I’ll be sharing for now. If you missed the other parts, you’ll want to consider reading them before reading this. It’s more reading, but it’ll help the following post make sense. You can find them here: Part 1 and Part 2.

I’ve shared quite a bit about the past, but now we’ll be focusing on how the past affects the present.

My parents are still my parents (as if that isn’t overly obvious). Our relationships are significantly better. They love me, and I love them. It’s tough, but we’re growing in it. My time in Ghana has helped with this. We actually miss each other. We miss each other much more than we anticipated. So we Skype (or rather hangout on Google+ since it’s more friendly with my internet) every Sunday. We talk about life. I would say we’re closer than when I was a 75 minute car ride away during college.

My parents and I love each other, but things aren’t perfect. My mom still struggles with alcoholism. It seems like she’s losing the battle. My dad still doesn’t challenge her to stop. That sucks. Really, really sucks. But that’s not the extent of it.

My mom knows God. She doesn’t just know about him; she knows him. She just doesn’t know the fullness of the freedom she has in him. God says that when we’re in Christ, we’ve died to sin. Sin is no longer our master. We’re no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6 paraphrase). My mom is still a slave to alcohol. She doesn’t experience freedom even though Christ died and rose again for her to be free from it all. This breaks my heart. I’ve experienced Christ setting me free from all sorts of sin, but my mom doesn’t have that.

Some days, I want to give up hope on my mom. I think, “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.” Or, “She’s going to follow in her father’s steps and die in her 50s because her body can’t handle it.” Then I remember that God didn’t give up on me when I was lost in my sin. He kept beckoning me. He saved me from it. He freed me from it. He can do the same with my mom. So I’m praying for her. I calmly confront her about it occasionally, but I pray more than I confront. I’ve realized that confrontation hasn’t accomplished anything over the last 11 years, but prayer has, and it will continue to do so.

My siblings struggle with my parents. They don’t necessarily do it in the ways I did, but their lives reflect their struggles. My brothers rebel. They choose things that would numb the pain and remove them from the situation. My sister argues with them and tries to prove herself through her accomplishments. She's responding in ways very similar to my response. All three of my siblings are hurt, but I know that God can heal them just like he’s been healing me.

God is the God of redemption. He can redeem Brad, Michelle, Christopher, Dean, and Kady just like he redeemed Kayla. I know it.

 

My life, relationships, and understanding of God’s love are all far from perfect. My journey is nowhere near its end, but God has guided me along the way and made my path clear. The past is painful, yet God has made the present an abundant blessing even though things are still tough. The Lord is showering me with his love and asking me to cling to it instead of to the pain of the past. God has proven his faithfulness throughout my life. He has rescued me and has revealed his amazing love to me. He loves me because he created me; he sees my rottenness and somehow desires a stronger relationship with me. It doesn’t make sense to me, but I know it is true. God is good. His love is redeeming, and my life is only one of many testaments to the greatness of his redemption. Praise God for he loves the unlovable. Praise God for he teaches us to love one another. Praise God for he provides, he redeems, and he loves. Praise God for he did not abandon a broken girl but patiently waited for her to recognize his love and accept him. Praise God for he allows us to have a relationship with him in which we can know and experience love and freedom from sin.

That's my God. That's our story. So, what’s your story?