The Perfect Father

I was born into a family of 5, my dad, my mom, 2 elder brothers and I, being the youngest. We were a happy family and our favourite activity was fishing. Those were the times when I cherished every moment of it but it didn’t last.

At the age of 11, my parents started to quarrel more frequently. It started from trivial issue like being late to more important issues over children and finances. During those times, I just hope that it will be a passing phase and assume that life will quickly be back to normal as before. I was wrong. It was brought to my attention that my dad was having an affair and within 6 months my dad moved out.

My family became a mess. My mom would cry daily, my brother would be missing from school and I went into depression. From an extrovert, I became an introvert. I felt abandoned and cheated. I cannot understand how my father could have just walked out on our family. Didn’t I mean anything to my father? I felt betrayed and wronged. As I grew in my bitterness, I joined gangs and became more violent in my behaviour.

Thankfully, my Christian uncle who was a pastor, saw a need for me to have a father. He taught me everything a father would need to teach a son. More importantly, he taught me about God. He told me that God is my heavenly Father and how He loves and valued me. Through my uncle’s encouragement and counselling, my life completely changed. I became peaceful and joyful. And soon, my grades also improved. My classmates, teachers and even my principal noticed the change in me. They asked me what happened and my immediate response was, “God has changed me.”

However, when I was enlisted into the army, like all Singapore’s sons having to serve two years by law, I was exposed to alcohol, nightclub and women. I had been and done things which I am not proud of. At the brink of a decision that would drastically harm and change my life, God stopped me and reminded me that I am His precious child. I would have regretted what I had done if I did not heed God’s whispering!

Over the years, I grew to realise that God is my heavenly Father and He is all I need. Though my father left me at the age of 11, my heavenly Father will never leave or forsake me. In the bible, God promised that neither death nor life, things in the present or in the future, can separate me from God. I truly experience God’s never-ending love in my life.