The Perfect Parent

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” – Psalm 27:10

Violet’s father was a quiet man who worked seven days a week to support his family. He made sure his kids never lacked anything. But words were hard for him and he rarely expressed his feelings out loud.

Violet was settled with her own family, happily raising three kids when the news came that her father could no longer live on his own. Her mother had passed away several years earlier.

“I talked it over with my husband and we decided to bring him home. I didn’t want strangers at a nursing home caring for him. I knew the stroke had taken his ability to speak but I wanted him to be surrounded by the love and warmth of family.”

One day, Violet was helping the home health aide care for her father when she saw scars on his back. Curious, she called her aunt to ask about them.

Her aunt sighed softly before she said, “Your grandmother had nine kids and your granddaddy—he was mean. Your father stood up to him, time and again he protected us. He was my hero, growing up, always saving people.”

The words shocked Violet. “I’d never considered where he’d come from before,” She said, “For the first time, I realized my dad carried a lot of pain, and maybe that’s why he struggled to say out loud how much we meant to him.”

Relationships with parents can be complicated. Sometimes, parents don’t express their feelings like Violet’s dad and sometimes, they aren’t supportive or kind.

You can’t change who your parents are or where they came from. But you can rest in the knowledge that God is holding onto you. He’s the perfect parent and He’ll never fail you or abandon you.

God, help me to remember that You are the perfect parent. When my heart is overwhelmed with hurt, let me turn to You for comfort. In Jesus’ name, Amen.