This scene marks a turning point – a second flashback between the young boy with his mother, following the earlier “father-and-son moment” that was longed for but never came. In their conversation, his mother came to a quiet yet profound realisation: her son is afraid of growing up – a fear that had been silently taking root in him.
At the heart of this fear was a belief imprinted on him that manhood meant absence. The boy had come to equate becoming a man with becoming unavailable: endless work, long hours, emotional distance, and a life too full for family. To him, men were destined to toil from dawn till dusk, leaving little room for love or presence at home. In his young mind, to grow up was to disappear – just like his father.
Up until now, both his mother and sister had shielded him from the painful truth. She thought leaving some things unsaid would protect his heart, and preserve what little remained of his relationship with his father. But upon hearing the fear in her son’s voice changed that. She realised that silence was no longer mercy. The only way to free him from the lie he had internalised was to tell the truth. The time had come…
With quiet courage, she told him what she had kept hidden: his father had another family elsewhere. The words landed softly, yet with weight. And strangely, with the truth came a quiet sense of relief. For the first time, the boy understood. The pieces of a long-unfinished puzzle fell into place. The fear that had gripped him began to loosen. Truth, even when painful, had begun to set him free.
His first response was sorrow – not for himself, but for his father’s salvation. He had been praying for it earnestly, clinging to hope with a child’s faith. But now, a quiet grief settled in. The truth felt too heavy. In his young heart, the sin seemed too great. And so, he came to a painful conclusion: some sins were beyond forgiveness – and that his father would never be saved. His second concern was for his sister, knowing how deeply she loved their father. He asked no questions. He said nothing about himself, or of his mother. Perhaps he couldn’t yet process her pain or imagine the weight she had carried all these years. Yet, in that moment, all his mother saw was that her son’s need for hope.
Once again, she searched for the right words. And by the grace of God, she found them. Gently, she reminded him that God is sovereign, and His ways are not ours. What seems impossible to us is never too hard for Him – “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37 ESV). All they could do now was pray and trust. After the truth was shared, his mother asked, “Are you angry with Daddy?” The boy paused, then quietly answered, “No… because Daddy doesn’t know Jesus.”
There was something sacred in that moment – a hush of grace, a glimpse of spiritual clarity. Though still young, he had been raised to know the ways of Christ, and in that simple reply, his childlike faith shone through. He didn’t excuse his father’s actions, yet he chose compassion over resentment. He saw through the eyes of grace, recognising that his father’s choices flowed from a heart that had not yet encountered Christ. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 ESV). Jesus’ words echoed in the tenderness of the boy’s response. It was the Spirit of God at work, forming mercy in the heart of a hurting child. That insight became his healing and his strength to keep praying.
Years passed. The boy grew into a man but his prayers never faded. He continued to lift his father before the Lord. And then, in a way only God could orchestrate, the day came. His father – older and humbled by a relapse of terminal cancer finally encountered the love of God. The One he had so often heard about from his wife and children, but had never truly known, met him in his weakness. And by God’s mercy, that long-held prayer was answered. Four months later, his father was called home to the Lord.
What the boy once feared was impossible, God had fulfilled. The burden he had carried for so long – the deep concern for his father’s salvation was now crowned with peace. God had shown him that no prayer is ever wasted, and proved beyond doubt that, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 ESV).
What began as a child’s quiet act of faith became a testimony to the enduring power of prayer and the limitless mercy of God. In the face of pain, he chose forgiveness. In the waiting, he held on to hope. And in the end, God was faithful. If you’re still waiting for a breakthrough, take heart. Keep praying. Keep believing. No prayer lifted in faith is ever forgotten. Because in the end, it’s not about how long we wait, but about the God who answers in His perfect timing.
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
(Galatians 6:9 ESV)
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