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With Father’s Day on 16 June, we wanted to acknowledge the father figures in our lives.
At the bottom of this incredible story of the transformative power of the Gospel, there’s a little gift! Keep reading to find out more.
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, God is described as the Father of all compassion. It’s impossible for earthly fathers to love their children as perfectly as God loves us; many of us have experienced pain where father figures have fallen short, sometimes in catastrophic ways. But many of us also know and love men who are humbly trying to live out God’s calling. Here’s the story of José, who needed God’s redeeming love to transform him into the dad he is today.
José was a hardworking man, but his struggle with alcohol and drug addiction made getting work very difficult. His twin children, Daniel and Daniela, were both sponsored in the Compassion project at their local church.
They keenly felt the difference between the adults at the church and their dad. They knew he loved them, but Daniel and Daniela could feel how oppressive his life was.
“I don’t think we ever told our dad back then,” says Daniel, “but one day, my sister and I followed him into the backyard. We were about 10 years old at the time. That’s when we realised he was going outside to use drugs.”
Faith that leads to transformation
“At the project, the tutors and volunteers taught us about Jesus and how it’s possible to live in ways that are pleasing to God. We came to see how real God was and how much truth there is in the Bible’s teaching. We each decided to follow Jesus and to obey Him,” says Daniel.
Daniel and Daniela were baptised and began attending church regularly. They longed for their dad to know Jesus too.
One day, Daniel and Daniela came home to find a house party with loud music, alcohol everywhere, and their dad dancing and drinking.
Daniela says, “I looked my dad in the eye and said, ‘Dad, we are Christians, and you shouldn’t be listening to that kind of music.’ After that, we never heard that kind of music at home again! I never imagined that that would be the phrase God would use to start an extraordinary change in our dad’s life!”
José started going along to church with his children. Daniel and Daniela began to see a change.
“We realised that he’d accepted Jesus one Sunday after church. He looked so different, so happy! He hugged us and told us the news and we understood that all these years of praying for our dad hadn’t been in vain,” says Daniel.
José and his wife gave up drugs and alcohol. They started attending church as a family and started holding services outside the front of their house, witnessing to their neighbours.
José began a grocery business, repaired their home, and transformed into a father who was invested in his children, fun to be around and full of encouragement.
“Dad is now our example,” says Daniel. “We read the Bible and pray together. We never thought that going to the project would change our lives this much.”
Daniela agrees. “We’re very grateful to God and the Compassion project for all the help they’ve given us throughout our lives. But the greatest and most beautiful gift we’ve ever received has been Jesus and our dad.”
You can learn more about how sponsorship brings light and hope into the life of a child and their whole family at compassionuk.org.
A gift for you
We’ve collected our favourite Father’s Day Bible verses to celebrate father figures around the world. You can share these encouraging Father’s Day verses to guide your prayers, and as a gift to thank the men who’ve played a significant role in your life.
A version of this blog first appeared on compassionuk.org in 2023.
