Matthew 6:14 really resonates with me on a deeper level because growing up, my childhood wasn’t the best. I won’t go into too much detail, but there is someone who deeply hurt me in my life, my father. He hasn’t been around for years, and when he did come back, it was only for short periods. When I was six, he was in prison, and during the years we visited him, he would make promises like building me a treehouse or doing fun things together once he got out, but those things never happened. I learned early on that promises were often broken and grew up expecting disappointment. When good things happened, I stayed on guard because they never seemed to last. Every time he got out, I’d be overjoyed, waiting patiently for weeks just to spend time with him, but he would disappear for long stretches to be with his friends. This taught me to be independent, which brought its own struggles both financially and mentally. My mom left my dad when I was 12, and I wasn’t surprised. He had fallen into addiction years earlier, and we’d just hoped he would change. My younger self didn’t realize it at the time, so I kept hoping for years that he’d reach out, see how I was doing, or notice how much I’d grown. Instead, it fueled resentment, especially knowing that even when he was around, he didn’t really try. I grew up feeling disconnected and only realized later that it doesn’t have to be that way. I never thought I’d be able to say it but, I forgave him a long time ago when I found Jesus. I moved out at 16 and lived on my own, which, in my situation, was truly a miracle from God. He kept blessing me, and though it took a long time to break free from the mental state I was in, I realized I didn’t have to do it alone. Once I started leaning on Jesus, He showed me the way out. Now I pray every day for my family, especially my father, who has fallen into addiction, that they may be saved and come to know Him. I hope that one day we can be reborn, know each other again, and walk together as followers of Christ. When I found the Bible, I learned from God that I’m never truly alone, I have someone to lean on, someone to talk to when I’m sad, and someone who will always be there. He doesn’t dwell on the past; He looks at me as I am now.