Janna Faith: Hello, I’m Jana Faith, and welcome to episode 24 of Faith Talks.

Now just a little bit of a background, we actually recorded this podcast, was it yesterday? two days ago two days ago and something was wrong with the mics and everything so we actually recorded the entire podcast and lost it so this is round two and unfortunately Anna Faith is not feeling so well she’s not able to be here today so it is still me and our guest speakers so we are excited to talk today about another relationship in our series and that relationship actually is kind of connected to a holiday coming up a week from Sunday hopefully all you girls out there know what holiday that is.

It’s Father’s Day.

So we’re excited to be able to do a father-daughter relationship focus this podcast.

So we have here today with us today Graciela.

And I know just from observing her, just the sweet relationship she has with her dad.

And I know she’s mentioned it wasn’t always the case.

It’s been definitely something she’s grown in.

So I’m excited to have her here today.

So why don’t we start out with just if you want to introduce yourself and just tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do right now.

Well, hello.

Thank you for having

Anna Faith: me again.

Yes, my name is Graciela.

I am actually from Peru.

I’ve been here for now seven or eight years.

Wow.

Yeah.

A long time.

Haven’t been back home since like two years, probably.

Yeah.

And I’m a mom now.

He’s about to be five months the day after Father’s Day.

He’s a little chunky boy growing up a lot.

A little bit about me.

I’m married.

It’s going to be two years at the end of this year, two years of marriage.

I am very happy.

It’s hard, but it’s worth it.

That’s how I cannot describe marriage.

And a good thing to know about me, actually, if you really want me to like you, is if you give me coffee.

That would be the best thing to do.

Just any coffee.

I’m not as picky as my husband, actually.

I just drink coffee.

I’m not going to have the McDonald’s pot that is burned there and is awful or church coffee.

But I’ll try.

Just about anything.

Janna Faith: I think I’m right there with you on the coffee thing.

As far as like those would be the two actually examples would be the coffee at church sometimes when something goes wrong.

And then when I worked at McDonald’s.

But pretty much I don’t think I’ve had any other coffee that I didn’t prefer.

Anna Faith: I don’t I don’t I’m not that picky.

Yeah.

My husband all the time is like, I don’t know, I will make a pot or whatever.

He’s like, oh, Graciela.

I’m like, I think this is awesome.

This accomplished the goal today.

Janna Faith: Well, then he doesn’t drink your coffee.

So there’s more for you.

Anna Faith: there’s always more for me because he has a soy gluten-free and all these allergies of the world so i can have just about anything like candy coffee or whatever stuck there he can’t eat it he wants to but he can’t so that’s awesome so i have a lot there that’s hilarious so um next why

Janna Faith: don’t you just share a brief salvation testimony just kind of your background your home life you

Anna Faith: grew up in?

Yeah, well, I came out of a Catholic home.

I guess I was about seven to eight years old when my mom actually got saved by a wrong call.

If you want to say a wrong call, it was the best call.

She called her sister-in-law, which has the same number, the same name as her sister.

She was in a very bad spot.

Just a little bit of background of my parents.

It was my mom’s second try of she never got married but she had a relationship before that and then my dad’s third time and they both were like trying to actually make this work but as you know there’s so much as humans that we can do and marriage is not something easy so I cannot imagine trying with marriage by yourself without God and that’s where my parents were and they were just pretty much almost done they were considering divorce even though they were really trying.

I am number nine of my siblings.

They’re all from my mom’s side and my dad’s side.

So I’m the only one from both of them.

So my mom was right at that point considering suicide or like even just run away from home.

And so she was just calling her sister to tell her, like, look up for my daughter.

But she made their own call and her sister-in-law was actually a pastor’s wife and she led her to the Lord.

After that, we started going to church, even though we went to a lot of events because it’s actually my dad’s brother who he got saved at the end of 19.

And then he became a pastor and all that.

He always prayed for my dad.

And we sort of grew up going.

But if you know anything about how Catholicism works, it’s pretty much you just do what you do.

You don’t know exactly why.

You just do it because it’s what they told you to do.

So you go to church.

You have the message they’re written down for you.

You never open your Bible.

You do have a Bible at home, but it’s kind of a, I don’t know, just part of the living room.

Decoration or something.

It’s just there.

Just to say that you have a Bible.

So I believe because of that, it was super hard for us to understand what was the difference with Christianity, even though it made a huge impact in my life because my parents actually got married.

They started doing things right.

My mom was a heavy smoker.

My dad used to drink a lot, and they pretty much gave up all of those things.

And if you know anything about addictions, it’s not easy to do about your own.

So that was God.

And I grew up seeing that, seeing all those changes in them.

And when we got saved, I was still behaving as a Catholic, like going to church on Sundays.

You still had that works mindset.

Yeah.

So I was doing the same thing.

And I think because of that, I lack a lot of foundation because you can go to church and listen to everything, but nothing actually stays in your heart if you don’t make it personal, if you don’t really go and learn it for yourself.

So anyways, when I went to college, I fell in love with this fella, which was my brother’s friend.

And he knew that to get a Christian girl because that was my parents kind of like, you cannot get married with someone that’s not a Christian.

So he knew that.

So then he became a Christian.

And then he started going to church and be discipled by my uncle and all that.

And then we started a relationship.

We last about five years.

We were engaged and all that. at one point he cheated and of course I did things that I I’m not proud of it but I did it because I was most following my friends or what they were doing I my environment was very much not Christian at all they had Christian friends so at that point in my mind I was doing things right so I was like okay Lord why are you doing this to me if I’m doing things right so you know what I’m just going to live life.

So that’s what I did.

I started drinking and smoking everything behind my parents’ back.

I’m sure my mom, like a mom, knows.

But in my mind, I was like, no, they had no idea what I’m doing.

And nothing was fulfilling that emptiness that I was having.

I drank to the point of forgetting that day.

I smoked because of anxiety.

I had a lot of issues with myself.

So in my mind, I was a disgrace for my parents, a disappointment for God, not enough for these fiancés.

So why am I still here?

I remember driving my bike against the traffic, hoping one of those cars will hit me.

And I did a lot of things.

I drink pills.

I tried to cut my wrist and I couldn’t.

So I was like, OK, I’m just going to drink this thing that I know is going to make it.

And I was just going to write a letter to my parents, which I did.

And I was going to be done. but that week and that’s so sad that Anna Faith is not here because actually she was involved in a way of this um I my mom pushed me to go to church because there was this missionaries at my church just being there from I think it was a missions week so it was Anna Faith’s dad Pastor Gilmore who was there and it was his preaching and just making this point of like your life is not your own that actually made me thinking, wow, okay, I’m trying to take this life, but it doesn’t really belong to me.

And it just, I don’t know, the way he preached, I just was reminded of how much God loved me.

And he had a plan, even though I didn’t.

Afterwards, I talked to Mrs.

Gilmore.

She prayed with me and she recommended me to come here.

And everything else is history.

It was about a week when I applied here.

I got my visa.

If you know anything about visas, they don’t give it to you after three days you apply.

And they did it to me.

I came here.

I packed from one day to another.

And I said goodbye to all my life and come here to 30 degree weather from 80 degree weather.

So my life changed a lot after that.

It wasn’t easy, and I’m going to unfold more of how that was with my dad’s relationship and how that was helpful.

But I don’t regret it.

I wouldn’t have met my husband.

I wouldn’t have met Jesus and know who God is if I didn’t come.

Janna Faith: That’s really neat.

And I remember the first day you showed up.

We were sharing this the other day.

But there was another Peruvian student who was at our college, and she’s very quiet. and for some reason I was thinking oh this new this new Peruvian is coming she’s probably gonna be just like the other one and then I met Graciela and I’m like wow she has a lot to say so but I always remember just loving having you around I mean I still do but in college when Graciela showed up it was a happy day that was a lot of fun so um let’s move on to your relationship with your dad growing up um what were some things maybe that came easy for you in that relationship And then on the other hand, what are some things you struggled with?

And then also, I know you mentioned you had nine siblings, but where were you in the lineup of that?

And how did you relate with your siblings and your parents?

Just tell us more about that.

Anna Faith: So I’m the last one.

I’m the baby.

The spoiled one, you will say.

Not quite, but whatever.

My siblings probably could say that I was the spoiled one.

Janna Faith: And growing up, you were the only one in the home then with them?

Anna Faith: No, because there was a point that at least almost all of us live together in one house, which that was very complicated because they’re living with not their mom or not their dad.

Right.

And I am the middle point.

Janna Faith: So it’d be easier for you to be like Joseph.

Yeah.

They’re like the favorite child.

Anna Faith: Yeah.

Yeah.

It was hard sometimes.

But I think my parents had a very good balance on how they treat everyone.

I mean, all of them had a point in their life that they were teenagers and they hated the other parent because he was their parent.

It was hard sometimes to watch.

It was hard sometimes to not say anything because either or you’re hurting my parents.

They are mine, both of them.

So actually one funny thing I just remember now is, so my one of my siblings from my dad’s side is the lady that till the day I think she’s still in love with my dad anyways that’s another story of itself but I think she really really wanted to hate me like she really wanted to because you know it’s the kid from the other woman anyways but she couldn’t because I met her and I loved her and I was with her and I was all the time like oh you’re so pretty and stuff like that and she loved me till the day she loves me and we have a great relationship and that helped with their relationship with my mom so it’s it’s very weird but I’m so happy how the Lord made everything happen and there hasn’t been that like a rough moment I mean they probably were in it but I never saw them because of my parents coming from these broken relationships and my mom even there was a point she didn’t have custody of all their and she pretty much kidnapped her kids to have them because it was a very hard situation when they lived.

I was the redemption of both of them.

I was the one that they were going to do things right and they were going to try to keep the marriage.

So they both tried very hard, but at the same time, they’re trying to make up for the years that they haven’t been with my siblings. my mom as a mom she all the time was more like trying to reach out to my other siblings to help them so there was sometimes more like my dad will have like try to give me the attention I need and my mom was like oh she has all the attention she needs so there was different dynamics but growing up as I said my parents were not safe all the time so there was one time that I saw my dad being unfaithful with my mom.

And I was very young and I didn’t know what to do because it’s just a hard position for a kid to be there and say like, okay, should I tell my mom and break my family and be responsible for that?

Or just be quiet and die with this huge secret that is going to eat me?

And because of that open communication that I had with my dad, I never fear of saying anything to him.

I just went to him and I told him.

And I don’t know if it was the right thing or not, but he made it super clear that whatever happened in their relationship, which marriage, as I said, is not easy.

It had nothing to do with how much he loved me.

And he made it so clear that I never doubt that.

I never did.

My dad did all the efforts he was in the military he was he’s a general already retired but because of his work he all the time was away um he had to fly a lot or he had to miss a lot of things so when i was in school there’s a lot of times that i had a performance that he was in his secretary to record me so i felt like this like famous kid being recorded by two people and like trying to so my parents could see it it was very embarrassing for me um but my dad all the time tried to be and when I got into college in Peru I’m sure here in other colleges they do as well you have to take this huge test and and then you go and there’s this huge wall with full of paper and names and if your name is there you you you got in and I remember with my dad going through all those names and I like you got in I found your name it’s like oh yeah like okay and then even when I when I got in here to come my dad was the one who came first and my dad had to pray and and see everything around and be like okay lord like do you really want my kid here like and the lord made it so clear for him that he’s like okay yeah you can you can you can come and we spent three days before he left here that was the hardest thing to say goodbye and like okay i’m not gonna i’m not gonna see you anymore um so yeah it it was it wasn’t hard to admire my dad but I I don’t know he just never I never judged him for anything like he was just another person and now as a parent I’m like you know what I don’t know how they did it I’m no one to judge my parents like they did the best that they could with the things that they knew and I’m very thankful with them yeah I don’t know one thing that made better was when I came here I was super far away from my parents so my communication with them had to be more intentional because I think when you live with them it’s very easy to be like oh yeah my dad is right there I hi okay bye okay whatever and that’s how I was when I had a relationship in the past I left my dad a lot I didn’t care much I didn’t like really I don’t know I those moments were like oh whatever it’s like I can be with my dad tomorrow I can be whatever when I was here I was so far it’s like me and I didn’t really like take advantage of those moments that I used to have with him and I used to call him I still call him I just call him before I came And I still talk with my parents.

I still talk with him.

And it took me a long time to realize that my best friends are actually my parents.

I mean, I love my friends in college, but they just go and come with your parents at the end.

Janna Faith: Well, that’s really special.

I think some of the things you shared that are key, just that he spent time with you and made you priority and that you knew that you were important.

I think that’s huge.

Just even parents being present is huge.

And then also how he made it clear that he loved you.

And then you just had the grace to forgive him.

And I think that’s how you’ve mentioned even as becoming a parent.

You just realize like it’s not like some magic pixie dust comes over you when you’re a parent.

Like you’re still human and make mistakes and just giving grace to your parents that they’re human too. and forgiving them for things and not letting that come between your relationship.

Now, I know you’ve mentioned some things, but are there any other ways that you’ve seen destroy father-daughter relationships, things that have destroyed?

Anna Faith: I feel like at the beginning, I was not honest with them.

I went to friends to share my life instead of going to my parents that actually have more years on earth to tell me what to do.

Like I go to my teenage, like I was 19 and I go to my 19 year old friend to help me with this life when she’s probably figuring out hers too.

Instead of going to my parents that are like older.

I learned that with the youth.

But after I came here and your dad preached on unloading the truck and actually being honest with your parents and just it was so hard.

I’m not saying this.

This was easy.

And honestly, Satan puts so much fear of like going to your parents.

I don’t know.

Like you feel like your parents are going to what?

Like tell you, OK, you’re not my daughter anymore or hate.

I don’t know.

And when he did that, of course, I am miles away.

So, like, that’s my advantage, I guess.

But I made a WhatsApp group with my parents that I still have.

And I sent them a voicemail telling them everything that I did, everything.

And then I just shut my phone.

I turned it off.

And I just, even though I was sobbing because I was so scared, I was also relieved.

I was super relieved because it was like, it’s done.

I said it all.

There’s nothing else that I have there.

And when I turned on my phone again and I saw that I had some texts from my parents, I’m like, oh, I have to play what they said.

They were just crying.

And they had the grace to forgive me for all the things that I did, for all the things.

Because, again, now as a parent, it is so hard to see your child suffer, To see your, like, when, because my little boy had COVID, and we had, like, we had to go to the hospital, to the emergency room, and they had to take blood of him and, like, do all these things.

I was in the corner crying.

Like, I just told Michael, could you hold his hand, just give him his passy, and I’m just going to be going to be in this corner crying.

I told the nurses, because they tell you, you can’t leave the room.

I’m like, no, I’m not going to leave the room.

But I don’t want to make him more nervous because I’m going to be crying right now.

It’s just seeing your kid suffer, it hurts so much.

And you want to do anything and everything to avoid that.

And I could see from my mom and my dad, when I did all the things that I did, all the tears they shed because of me.

It was like, I am so sorry.

Now as a parent, I call them back sometimes like, I’m sorry for what I did.

Like, I mean, now I understand all that you care with you because you raised this kid and you’re like okay go to the world here you go a little duckling going out of the nest yes and it’s like you can’t hold their hands anymore you have to let them go but how do you do that and that’s that’s when you have to see and like from day one you should but that’s when you’re like okay lord like this is my kid this is all i can do so i don’t know my my final telling them everything helped me a lot because now I can go to them and I don’t have nothing to to hide they know everything like there’s times that I went back with this is not something to do but when I went back to Peru and we had these father-daughter dates and whatever we went out for breakfast and whatever um I’ll tell my dad like yeah dad I used to drink this and this like he’s like oh why didn’t you drink that i’m like i don’t know like i’m sorry that like it’s like and i i love that i can tell my parents everything and they’re not gonna shame me they’re not gonna be like oh you’re this terrible human whatever they they’re like oh i’m sorry that you went through that okay well let’s don’t do that again that is so important as a parent that for me now knowing with like i shouldn’t shame him because that’s what satan does he shames people god doesn’t shame he loves you he receives you he tells you okay stand up let’s go again and he never did if you see in the bible with peter he was the one that had so many mistakes and jesus was there all over and over like help him go back hey come back don’t go back to that and there’s a whole book of acts because of him making the decision but it was an over and over again of god being like right come back so that just shows you that God doesn’t give up on people and your parents should never give up on you either and it was easier with my dad to do that with my mom there was a lot of wounds that we had to heal and something that I encourage anyone out there you might be in the right path you might be the one doing the things right and finally telling your parents like I’m sorry for what I did and you might receive like oh finally you say you’re sorry don’t be discouraged you’re doing what god told you to do you’re doing what god show you like hey you did you take you take that step you might not have the response that you were expecting right away eventually it’s gonna come it will come so it it might not show that your parents are present and it’s something that I am learning and I’m all the time reminding Micah, you can be in the same room and not be present as a parent.

It’s actually looking at your kids’ eyes and listening to them that makes the difference.

And that’s true

Janna Faith: on the flip side of when you’re you can be in your parents’ presence and not be present.

I know I’ve done that before too.

Anna Faith: Well, you have the phone now all the time.

You can be sitting at the table and just be like scrolling or whatever and you don’t take advantage of that beautiful moment that you have with your parents on the table that it doesn’t come back time doesn’t come back it just keeps going and once you get married once you move on in life you whatever you are you’re gonna miss that so much and you will regret not spending that walk with your dad when he told you hey could you come with me to fix the car and you’re like oh man I’m like, whatever.

But if you say like, yeah, it can be a beautiful memory that you can look back and say like, I’m so happy I took that moment with my, so it’s both ways.

Both of them have to be intentional to fix things, to talk about things and to make it work.

Like I had to make it work with my mom.

I had to be like, okay, I’m going to be the one that goes and says like, hey mom, do you want to go out and do something?

And I was like, oh, I’m like, come on, like, let’s do something, mom.

And it changed it.

Just like you’re pushy when you want to go out and you want to do things, be pushy to have a great relationship with your parents.

I think of the word intentional.

Janna Faith: Yes, there you are.

To be very intentional in your relationship with your parents.

And if you want it, they’re going to want it too.

Because relationships, yeah.

If you’re pursued, you automatically want to grow that relationship.

And I think it was so key that you unloaded the truck, as you were saying, And then that just opened up the communication for you to be able to share really whatever was going on.

Anna Faith: Yeah, because I don’t have to line up my stories.

I don’t have to.

I could actually talk about anyone because my parents know everyone that has been in my life.

Janna Faith: And I think of even different teens I’ve counseled who are like, I just can’t talk to my parents.

A lot of the reason is because they can’t.

There’s so much that their parents don’t know.

But once there is that open communication, then like you’re saying, they become like your best friends too.

Anna Faith: It even helped a lot because when I started making some decisions in my life, like per se, wearing skirts, I didn’t do it because of the place that I’m going to school.

I didn’t do it because someone told me, this is what you do if you want to be a Christian.

It has nothing to do with that.

It was a personal decision that I made because I needed to be reminded every day who did I belong to.

So because of my past, going to bars or going to places was a struggle because I’ve been in too many places that I shouldn’t have.

Okay, try to be in a bar wearing a long skirt, being super formal.

You’re not going to fit.

Yeah, you’re not going to fit.

You’re going to be like, what am I doing here?

I’m not even dressed for this.

I cannot go to a party like this.

That’s the point.

That’s why I did it.

So I could be remembering like, hey, you’re in the wrong place right now because you are not that person.

So it was more for me to remind me.

Janna Faith: It was an outward picture of who you were choosing to be inside.

Anna Faith: Yes.

So that’s what I did.

So when I made that decision, which it’s very important that you remember that you’re in a journey that your parents might not be.

Your parents might be far ahead or behind you.

It doesn’t matter.

You’re never going to be disrespectful because of that.

And it never was with my parents.

I never am not.

I’m better with you because I went to Bible school.

No.

So when I made that change and I called my mom, like, okay, mom, I want to get rid of all those pants, like all of them.

I’m like, yes, mom, all of them.

Like, I don’t want you to give them away.

I want you to throw them away.

Just like, but that was a lot.

Did you PJs too?

I’m like, yes, the BJs too, Mom.

And when I went back and I was wearing clothes, and my mom was like, Graciela, but no one can see you here.

Like, why are you not just wearing this?

I’m like, well, because I’m not doing it for people.

My decisions are not to show people.

I mean, it’s a blessing.

If they can be blessed by that, that’s great.

But my decisions are me and God.

That’s how it is.

So me being genuine of what I believe and what I have decided and just stick with what I decided helped my parents as well.

Help my testimony was a lot for them too.

And me praying for them.

I actually pray for my parents.

Everything I saw, it was not to point at them like, oh, you’re doing this wrong.

It’s like, okay, I need to pray for this.

And it was so awesome sometimes to see how the Lord started, like, leading them and guiding them.

And I see them get delivered from some stuff.

And it was, like, so awesome because I knew I was praying for them.

Like, it’s not only your parents pray for the children.

No, you pray for your parents as well.

And so, like, today we’re talking.

I’m talking with my parents.

And we’re friends.

They share with me their problems.

There’s things that are going on.

Even though I’m married, I’m with kids now.

We’re talking like adults.

And they’re like, I’m going through this and this and this.

And they unload with me.

And I don’t point them.

I just, okay, I need to pray for this.

And if I’m going through something, I tell them.

I’m just like, Mom, I don’t know what this.

Especially now being a mom.

I’m like, Mom.

How did you do it?

Yeah.

It’s just beautiful.

It’s so, I wouldn’t change that for anything.

I loved my friends from college, from growing up, from school.

I barely talked to them, and they continue their lives.

Graciela Kagin: They have their own things.

Janna Faith: But my parents?

Something special about that, yeah.

And I would say for your listeners out there, if you’re thinking, well, like, my parents aren’t like that, I think back to what Graciela said a couple minutes ago, prayer.

And I have been so overwhelmed in the past, even just the past week, how much God answers prayer when you pray specifically for those in your life.

And nobody’s past hope, you might, since we’re focusing on fathers, you might look at your dad and be like, there is no way.

I could have a relationship like the one I’m hearing, but God, I mean, think of what God did in Graciela’s life, rescuing her.

And don’t ever think that your dad has past hope or that you’re past hope in the relationship, but take it to God in prayer because he can and he wants to do those miracles in your life.

As we wrap it up here, what would you say are some application points that our listeners could just walk away with, either things to do with their dad or even just to pray for your dad or pray for that relationship?

Anna Faith: Something I forgot to mention that I think is very important for everyone to think about is when I make things right with the Lord And I recognized that even though I was 23 and I could be independent by my own, I gave back that authority that my parents had in my life because I was not married.

I was still in college here.

And our relationship before it was, I was working by myself.

I had my own money.

So I decided if I go out or not.

That’s how it was.

So when I went back home and there was one time I wanted just to go buy a cracker or whatever.

I told my dad like, hey, dad, is it OK if I go to the store?

My dad’s like, you’re asking me if you should go to the store?

And I’m like, yeah, I mean, you know, my dad, I have to ask you.

And he was like, OK, sure.

Why not?

I can go with you.

But going back to that, it was hard for me.

Janna Faith: Putting yourself under authority.

Anna Faith: Yes.

Janna Faith: And when it was really your choice, it wasn’t like he was demanding it either.

Anna Faith: Right, right.

It was me, and it was me knowing that sometimes I can say, ah, no.

But it helped me put myself under authority again.

It helped me with my relationship with God, because how you see your dad, it’s how you’re going to see God as well.

And you have to all the time remember that God and your dad, You’re going to see a lot of aspects of God in your dad, but there’s a lot of things that your dad will never match God because God is way bigger.

He’s perfect and your dad is not.

But if you have those rough moments like your dad never did what he said he was going to do or he’s an absent dad or whatever, that’s how you think of God too.

And God is not like that at all.

And for those that don’t have a dad, you have God as your dad.

You have him and he will never leave you.

He’s always going to be there.

Speaking of that, it’s kind of a sensitive topic for a lot of people because some of them don’t have them.

Some of them might have them and not really.

They’re not there.

Anyways, if you have one, put yourself under authority with him because when you get married that authority just gets transferred and it’s it’s gonna make your life way easier if you do it now it wasn’t hard for me to go back and like to do that when my dad gave me that day that I got married and my dad literally puts my hand on Micah and looks at his face and like his eyes and tells him he’s my here’s my daughter he’s transferring everything to Micah that moment doesn’t mean my dad is not my dad but now I’m under my husband and it’s not something like oh my husband’s slave no no it’s not like that at all you’re a team it’s a good thing if you if you start seeing as a good thing with your dad you’re not gonna see it at all like that with your husband it’s gonna be super easy so I go I don’t do my own I go with my husband like hey what do think about this whatever like I that communication pattern that I created with my dad was easy to go without with Micah as well I don’t hide anything from my husband because I don’t hide anything with

Janna Faith: my dad either and I would think that would that transfers also to your relationship with God not hiding hiding stuff with God putting yourself under the authority Lord is this what you want me to do right now it’s it’s all the same I can those three are very parallel in a lot of ways

Anna Faith: Yeah, it’s super important that you are, you have to be free.

It just frees you so much.

Like, why do you want to struggle by your own, like there in your own cocoon and just be like, no, what am I going to do?

When you have help through God, through your parents, God has put your parents there to help you, not to be this obstacle.

I know some situations are hard and God is going to help you navigate through that if you have the intention to obey God.

It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not impossible.

So it helps you a lot through marriage.

It helps you a lot.

And also it creates a big, big, big bar for your next husband.

I think of Micah seeing my dad right now.

It was very hard for him.

There’s a lot of things that my dad never did with me.

And so when Micah will go and be like, hey, I’m going to do this.

I’m like, hey, my dad never did that.

I’m sorry.

And people were like, oh, okay, I’m sorry.

There’s a lot of things that because of my dad being who he was, the way my dad treated me, like this valuable little diamond that he had, and he protected me as much as he could.

That’s what my dad expected from Micah to.

And that’s why I expect from Micah.

He’s going to take care of me.

He’s going to protect me like my dad did.

And it’s also, for Micah, a good role model of like, okay, this is how I have to do with Mike.

It’s just a cycle.

It’s just like, okay, it goes from here to here, how we are supposed to be with our kids.

Then you have someone to consult with that, your parents, because they have gone through that.

So you can go.

If you don’t have that, I think as a mother, as I don’t know where I would go. who would I ask?

Like, how am I supposed to do this if I don’t even talk to my parents?

If I don’t even call them?

Yes, I’m miles away from them, but thankfully I have faced them.

Yeah, I think it’s so neat

Janna Faith: because when you put yourself under people, you could call that bondage, but that’s where actually the freedom is.

And I think of those years or however long it was when you were living in sin, supposedly free and independent, how much more in bondage you were than when you just simply put yourself

Anna Faith: under your parents well it was awful because you’re alone you’re lonely you can be full of people and be lonely yes i was surrounded with a ton of people in parties but i was so empty and so alone and not able to go to anyone because no one could understand my pain didn’t even have the lord

Janna Faith: at that point either as far as he says he’ll never leave us or forsake us well god pursued me so much

Anna Faith: like through my parents a lot and it’s just funny because you will think i’m gonna be free by going with my friends and doing everything your friends don’t have your best interest as much as they want to because they have to look for themselves as well but your parents they do they brought you to life they raised you put so many hours in you they want your best and you’re a part of them which i

Janna Faith: think is really special too yeah well as we end this podcast i couldn’t help as several times you were talking just thinking of this song cherish the moment and um we actually played it us three girls played it on mother’s day oh in church for my mom but that’s a special special song just about those times you have with your parents if you’re a single out there or just a young girl where you’re in your home with your parents just cherish those times and i like what you said just be present and forgive, realize they’re not perfect.

And maybe you’re out of the home already married, or maybe your parents have already passed away.

But just making that difference if you are a parent yourself in that relationship, being purposeful and just cherishing those times.

And I think it’s so special the way God set up the family and set up the home.

It’s just so, so a God thing.

The world has tried to mess it up so much, but the way God did it was so beautiful. so just remember listeners as you go throughout your week have that perspective of faith if your relationship with your dad isn’t what you would like it to be pray and ask the lord to change it ask him for action steps and just remember faith doesn’t just talk faith walks

Guest Speaker: thanks for joining us for this episode of the thee Generation podcast if you have an issue you need help with, we have a resource that can help you.

The Battle Plan for Victory is an online resource designed to help young people deal with personal sin issues through the Word of God and ultimately to find victory in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To view the Battle Plan, please visit thegeneration.org slash victory. .