Father’s Unconditional Love

[ Sunday Testimony Sharing ]

[Melissa]

 

Good Morning everyone!  I am Melissa from Cell Group CY4 and I would like to share about the love of my father.

 

I come from a humble family.  We didn’t have much during our younger days but our father would always buy us good food.  We also have sufficient clothing to wear. To me and my brother, we lack nothing. To me, my father is a serious, cool and a man of few words. His way of educating us was “Beating is loving, scolding is caring”.

 

TV game was the in-thing during my younger days. My brother and I were extremely happy when our uncles wanted to give us one. However, our father objected and said he would break it if we ever get one. I was very angry and said to myself “How could a father be so cruel? My friends’ parents would buy for them and now we can have yet not allowed to have one. I felt full of anger within me. As I grew up I begin to understand that my father has every good intention for us. He wanted us to focus on our studies and not to dwell on TV game. With that, I am thankful to my father.

 

During my Secondary School days, my relationship with my father was either good or bad. There wasa couple of times I had stomach pain when I was in School. After receiving the news, my father would put down his work and rushed to the school. He would carry me to the car and back to the house because I was in pain and could hardly walk. Even though I knew he loves me yet I was too shy to say thank you.

 

I know my father loves me very much and we are very much alike.  Both of us have bad temper and would argue when our opinions differ but I would always argue back 10 times more than his opinion.  After every argument, I would always tell myself “When I grow up, I will leave this house and no need to be scolded by you”. Such was my relationship with my father yet I missed this home when I was about to get married. On my pre-wedding night, my father reminded me “You are getting married now, mind your temper, respect your in-laws and do not get yourself into any conflict”. It was a hard advice and I felt my father was talking too much.

 

I had an encounter with God’s amazing provision and guidance during the lowest point of my life. One of them was my relationship with my father. During a visit to the Clinic when I was 6 month pregnant with my first child, there was no heartbeat. I need to be hospitalized and to be ready for delivery of my first child. With this news, all I wanted was to go home and be with my parents.

 

After the delivery, I was in confinement in my parents’ house. One morning I woke up around 5 or 6 am because I was unable to sleep. As I lay dazed at the sofa, my father came over and said to me “Yee Wen, be strong!” After that he wiped his tears. I felt warmness flowing into my heart right there and then. My tears kept flowing and I nodded my head at the same time. It was simple words but powerful words from him. It was the first time my father talked to me in this manner and it was also the first time I saw him cried.

 

Saying “I love you”, thank you” to parents is not an easy thing for a Chinese. We would rather keep it in our heart and not speak it out. After this incident, I changed the way I speak to my parents. With the help of God, if there is any difference in opinion, I would not raise my voice. I would be thankful and speak words of encouragement. If I go home for meals, I would thank my parents for cooking for us.  Let us not just be courteous to our friends only.

 

In the past I would not appreciate it when my father talked too much but now he would be so happy when I say “Yes Sir!” I stay quite near to my father and would often walk home. My father likes to buy good food and fruits for us.  He loves me and my family very much.

 

Only the love and the ability of God can change the hearts of men. The Word of God in Colossians 3:20 says “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.”

 

From now on I want to love, serve and honor my parents while they are still around and not only giving gifts or buying meals for them.  I want to spend more time with them, to communicate, to share, to be more understanding, embracing what they think and their likes. Let’s grab every opportunity to be good to our parents while they are still with us.

 

Wishing all fathers “Happy Father’s Day!”