In spite of how Dad’s parents treated him, he desperately loved them both and longed for a relationship with them. He prayed for them and hoped so much they would turn from unbelief to a life of faith. And guess what?

God heard his prayers.

More intense faith-testing began for Dad and Mom in March 1964 when he had a bleed in his kidneys that threatened his life and put him in the hospital for a lengthy stay. “I’m like a car with a leaky gas tank. The only way to keep it running is to put gas in as fast as it runs out.” The next two years cycled from health crisis to job loss to another health crisis to another job loss. Each time, Dad would confound the doctors by surviving. As his body continued to deteriorate, his faith continued to strengthen. And something became clear: life was in the blood.

Imagine never having a birthday cake as a child. Dad had his first birthday cake at age 20, and it was my mom’s family who made it happen!

Dad wrote this about marrying mom, “Life began for me with the phrase, ‘with this ring, I thee wed.’”

My mom’s family began to give my dad something he had not fully experienced: family. This was a direct contrast to his family, who even threatened to kidnap him to keep the wedding from happening.

Dad’s faith endured many hard days, and now, he began to reap the rewards of a steadfast faith.

Teenage years are challenging for most, and when there is a lack of spiritual influence at home, things worsen, especially for a new believer in Christ. For my dad, though, faith had taken root and he was intent on living out the new life of Christ.

One night, at the home of his mother and step-father, he discovered just how difficult this new life of faith would be. The “ketchup bottle incident,” as it would soon be called, occurred and his life changed forever.

“I used any method to get attention,” “I was completely self-oriented,” “I would fight anyone, old or young,” and “I would do anything to violate the rules.” As I read these words from Dad’s journal, I could sense how his life was spiraling out of control.

But God was about to use more daring people to introduce my dad to a new life - a life filled with joy, freedom and a beautiful faith. The cycle of generational unbelief was about to be shattered and changed forever.

The dynamics of Dad’s family might be better described as “family dynamite.” Early in Dad’s life things exploded at home. Dad was two years old at the time, and nowhere was God to be found in his home life. It was a home full of unbelief.

But, once again, I thank God for His mercy. God intervened on Dad’s behalf. And He can for you, too!

“But Jesus said, let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such a these.” Matthew 19:14

“God used some very daring people to save me.” When I ran across this statement in one of my dad’s journals, I stopped reading for a while in order to recover. This statement is incredibly sobering, and catapulted me to a state of gratitude.

The details about Jesus’ ministry in His hometown of Nazareth can be disheartening. A few miracles and healings occurred. Apparently, however, not many people believed. Verse 6 says that Jesus “wondered” at their unbelief. He was “amazed” and “marveled” that no one believed Him. The area was plagued with unbelief.

For the next few weeks, I’d like to share with you the story of a true hero - my dad. But more than being my hero, my dad is a testimony to every person that knew him because he broke the cycle of generational unbelief. This will take a few weeks to unpack, but I pray by reading and considering his story, you will be encouraged to break the cycle of unbelief in your life, or the life of your family.