My parents divorced when I was a toddler. We lived in California at the time, but my mother decided to return to her family in Germany after the divorce.  I was 2 ½ years old when we left and did not see my father again until I was 21. Growing up, I didn’t really know what it meant to have a dad. This made it difficult for me to relate to the Father in Heaven.

In my soul-searching teenage years God introduced Himself to me. Getting to know God, I have been on a road to discovery ever since. He taught me that wounds will heal, they only needed my attention. I used to be the kind of person that liked to ignore pain thinking: “If I ignore it long enough it will go away.” Unfortunately, this approach never works. A little scratch can develop into a sore. A festering wound ends up poisoning our life. One thing leading to another, we can get so caught up in our own hurt that we are unable to pay attention to anybody else but ourselves. It’s a chain reaction leading up to complete isolation. The way out of this mess is transparency. Say it as it is and don’t act like nothing happened. God taught me to be honest to myself and to others.

To me, God is a relationship giant. He knows people; He knows me. Over the years we have developed a special father/daughter bond that makes me happy to think about. He truly is father to the fatherless.

My relationship with God began when I accepted His help. Every relationship starts somewhere. My recommendation is to give God a chance. He has His way with people. He will have a way with you.