Beauty Rising by Mark W Sasse Read Free Book Online Page A

the church. The youth activities had slacked off to nothing at all. I avoided your grandmother like the plague. I found myself lying to Reverend Coonsley about the silliest things just to cover up any inkling about our relationship. And I completely blotted out your father’s memory from my life as I think your mom tried to do as well. Finally, by mid-August, I was such a wreck that one evening I went into Reverend Coonsley’ study and confessed everything. I wept on the floor waiting for hell-fire and brimstone; waiting for God’s damnation to shake every bone in my body. But the most amazing thing happened; Reverend Coonsley got down on his knees, pulled me to himself, hugged me and prayed something so simple yet so powerful that I will never forget it. He said, ‘Lord God, show brother Daniel how much You love him. Show him how much You love him.’”
    Reverend Fox had tears streaming down his face.
    “That night changed me forever. The power of that prayer, the power of love, the power of forgiveness overwhelmed me. I was no longer the same. He told me to go home and read the Prodigal Son and then come back in the morning, so we could talk about the next step. I went home and read the Prodigal Son about five times. No matter how I tried to think about it, I could do nothing except receive God’s forgiveness. Every time I read the story, the father welcomed home the wayward son with open arms. I finally began to understand God’s love. The next morning, I met with Reverend Coonsley and we talked through the entire story. I knew for myself, for your mother, for your father, and for your grandmother that our relationship was wrong and that I needed to break it off. Later that day, I brought Jane back to Reverend Coonsley, and we went through everything. We all agreed that the relationship would end, and I told them that I would leave the church. But in the meantime, the church elders had met to discuss discipline. They recommended that I be put on a two year probation period and had direct supervision into my relationships and interactions with people. I grew tremendously in my faith over those next two years, and I learned that I couldn’t let my mistakes keep me from doing what God had purposed for my life. We all make mistakes. Some bigger than others, but we still must move on.”
    “How did my Mom deal with the break-up?”
    “Not so well. She stopped going to church, and I didn’t see her at all for a number of months. Once I ran into her over at Rexall Drugs, but it was one of those awkward-don’t say anything kind of moments. I didn’t really understand what I did to her until more than a year later when your dad returned from Vietnam. One day I heard that Martin had just returned home. I really wanted to go see him, but of course part of me was very reluctant. But I had to, so I went over to your house there on Home Avenue and Martin was on the front porch. He looked completely changed. He had his tattoos on his arms, he was smoking a cigarette, and his eyes just floated around like he wasn’t completely coherent. We chatted briefly about different things, and I remember before I left that I told him I hoped to see him in church; he just smiled and went into the house. About four days later, it happened. I was at home in my little apartment above the garage of the parsonage. I heard a car pull up out front and a car door slam. Then I heard the heavy pounding of footsteps up the wooden staircase, and a loud thud of a knock on my door. I opened it up and there was your dad. He was very drunk, and he had hate written all over him. He immediately started yelling at me about how I had slept with his girl, and he threatened me. Finally, he punched me in the face, and I fell backwards onto the floor. He lunged at me and pinned me down while beating me with both fists. I finally broke away from him, but he, in his drunken rage, relentlessly went after me. He turned over my coffee table, and threw two lamps