The Beautiful Struggle to Forgive

It could have been the best day of his 11-year-old life, but it turned out to be the worst. Jason was incredibly excited when his dad, Joe, got him tickets to a Giants/Eagles game. But at the game, Joe drank excessively and then drove the 3-hour drive home, intoxicated, swerving, with his sons screaming from the backseat. It was the first time Jason remembers realizing that his dad was an alcoholic, and Jason wondered if that was why his parents divorced years before. For a while, Jason could overlook the drinking problem—especially because he and his dad connected over sports. But one day, Joe came home too drunk to go to a baseball game, and Jason lost his temper, yelling at his dad and slamming the bathroom door in his face. That night, Jason decided to “slam the door” on his relationship with his father and vowed he would never let his dad hurt him again. No one in Jason’s family was a Christian—but when his brother Chris accepted Jesus, Jason eventually came to Christ after watching his brother’s life change for the better. But the bitter seed of resentment continued to grow inside of Jason. When his dad attempted suicide, Jason’s heart broke for his dad, prompting him to call his dad and forgive him. After that stay in the hospital (and a diagnosis of depression medication), Joe started his road to recovery and is now 4 years sober. Jason will inspire listeners to extend Jesus’ forgiveness to those who have hurt them.