Phil,
You are so right on in this message.  I agree with you one hundred 
per cent.  You are right when you say that Gretchen and Chris know 
the truth.  I believe that.  I think that, however, they feel 
unlovable and part of their behavior is a kind of warped, self 
fulfilling prophesy.  If, however, I can continue to find ways to 
love Chris, as you are Gretchen, it makes them both have to face the 
fact that someone does still love them no matter what.  I just pray 
that both of them will transfer this knowledge of being loved  from 
us, there parents, to their heavenly Father above.  He loves them so 
much, but unlike so many in the pew, they know that they aren't 
worthy of it.  God does have a purpose and a plan for both of our 
prodigals.  It is just frustrating to have to continue to be 
patient.  Sometimes I feel like it is wading through peanut butter.
Kathy


At 08:01 PM 3/7/2006, you wrote:
>Kathy,
>
>You probably hit the nail on the head when you talked about him being a
>little boy.  He probably has a little boy inside who has been hurt or
>frightened or scared or any numbers of things.  When there is pain, acting
>out is a way of solving the pain temporarily.  The other night, Gretchen
>came in.  She has to enter through my office to get to her apartment in the
>basement.  When she came in, I asked her a simple question, Why don't you
>want to pray with me, Gretchen?  She tried to say, I don't know, but I knew
>better so I pressed the issue a little.  I reminded her that if she was
>believing that God couldn't heal her of everything, she was believing a lie.
>I then reminded her when she was healed in our one and only prayer session.
>she then said, I guess it is because I don't believe the Lord can fix
>everything I have screwed up in my life.  I knew what she was talking about
>but I asked her for an example.  She said, Well, for example, just being a
>mom.  I've screwed up being a mother and a wife, got divorced, and there
>just isn't any way God can fix all those things from my past.  I told her
>again that this was a common lie used by the Enemy to keep Christians from
>getting healed.  I told her about God's ability, according to Scripture, to
>keep all of His promises and that included restoring all we think we lost.
>I also explained how this is different for every person because every
>person, to the Lord, is uniquely different.  She asked when we could pray
>again.  I told her every night when she gets home if she wishes because my
>appointments don't start until usually 6:30 each night.  That was last week
>and so far it hasn't happened.  I didn't ask Gretchen if she was using again
>because I already knew the answer to that question.  I didn't ask if she was
>smoking cigarettes, she used to have a 250 dollar a month cigarette habit,
>because I already knew the answer to that question.  These things, as well
>as many other things, are Gretchen, and Satan's, solution to pain.  The only
>problem is, they are the ways of death and sometimes we become so deceived
>by the Enemy, we cannot see the truth, or hear it, when it is spoken.
>Gretchen and Chris know the truth, they just can't hear it or feel it.
>sometimes the tragedy is that they give up on themselves while other times,
>that is exactly what needs to occur.  Reason and logic and theology and
>doctrine and even love doesn't work.  God does work, however, but they just
>can't feel it.  I plan on just continuing to talk to Gretchen, not about
>drugs or sex or tobacco or booze or meth or weed or anything other thing
>than praying together.  I already know what will happen.  The more healing
>they experience, the more they are able to experience the Lord and the more
>they are able to hear Him when He speaks to bring truth.  Then the Bible
>comes alive in ways they cannot possibly imagine.  I had to turn Gretchen
>over to the Lord, as you heard me tell once, and it was the hardest thing I
>have ever had to do in my life.  Why?  Because I am a father and I felt like
>a failure as a father due to Gretchen and her screwed up life.  That isn't
>true, I know that now, but Gretchen may very well think it herself simply
>because the Enemy loves to use such lies to keep them trapped.  This is why
>Chris wants to go to church, read his Bible, and live for God but he can't
>yet.  It isn't because he isn't born again, Gretchen is born again, and I
>have no doubt about that.  It is because they have never really seen the God
>of the Bible do something for them.  If our children don't kill themselves
>in the process, they will experience the Lord and they likely will pass us
>by.  Brook has suffered so much, and done so much meth, she has killed lots
>of brain cells.  Gretchen is afraid she'll end up like Brook so how does she
>deal with that fear?  She does more dope.  Yes, it is stupid and illogical
>but we are dealing with the Enemy here and he has always been a liar.  Plus,
>he knows how to deceive.  We'll keep praying for them both, Chris and
>Gretchen, because that we know works.  Try not to hold on to those little
>things such as the hugs and the phone calls even though they are good.  Hold
>on to God because He is all we have.  Believe him and not what you try and
>feel as signs of hope.  Jesus is your total and complete hope concerning
>Chris.  I know you know these things but we all need to hear them sometimes.
>You are not doing anything wrong nor have you.  You haven't failed as his
>mom or as a Christian or anything else.  So, just keep doing what you are
>doing and hold on for the ride.  Jesus has been on this roller coaster
>before.
>
>Phil.
>
>Has He Ever Crossed Your Mind?
>www.SafePlaceFellowship.com