Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I’ll tell you a novelist’s secret: When creating a character, you must give them a wound and a lie they believe.
Why?
Because during the story arc, the wound will be healed and the lie exposed.
Is this really necessary? you may ask.
Yes. Because in the real world, we all have a wound and lie to deal with, and we often climb out of the pit (or are lifted out) by the struggle, encouragement, and victory we read about in the life of a fictional character.
One wound/lie situation is particularly prevalent in both the real and fictional world: the fatherless child.
Currently, I am reading Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a 2020 memoir (nonfiction) by well-known storyteller and novelist, Sean Dietrich.
I’ll not spoil the story for you by giving away the details, but I will share a line that gripped me by the throat:
“Fatherless kids will do odd things to avoid being unloved.”
Unloved.
That’s the wound and the lie all rolled into one. It’s a lie that has been repeated since Adam and Eve picked the wrong tree in the Garden of Eden.
They bit the lie before they bit the apple.
Satan, our enemy, is still using that lie today. He whispers in the ears of the fatherless, “You’re worthless, no one loves you. You’ll never amount to anything.”
To some, he goes so far as to suggest they kill themselves. I heard the testimony of a man to whom this happened. His cry to Jesus saved his life at that moment and forever. He discovered the love of his truest father, God Almighty.
Many of us may not have a loving, earthly father, but we do have a Heavenly Father who pursues us with His love through Jesus.
On the other hand, many of us are not that “fatherless” person, but we know someone who is.
Let’s ask God to show us who they are so we can tell them about the Father who is pursuing them. Let’s show them where the Bible says the Father loves us. We can use the scriptures below to start with, and then add others.
This is good news—good news we can’t afford to not share:
“You are loved.”
~
Because you are his sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’
So you are no longer a slave,
but God’s child;
and since you are his child,
God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:6-7
See what great love
the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called
children of God!
And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1
For the Father Himself loves you,
because you have loved Me
and have believed that I came from God.
No, the Father himself loves you
because you have loved me
and have believed that I came from God.
John 16:27
But you, when you pray,
go into your room,
and when you have shut your door,
pray to your Father who is
in the secret place;
and your Father who sees
in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:6
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Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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This is, indeed, a problem of our time…the number of children who not only grow up without a father present in their lives, but may not ever know who their father is. Hard stuff… but, then, is it harder to grow up feeling worthless because you have no father presence…or grow up WITH a father who repeatedly reminds you of your lack of worth?
It is also tough to grow up in a church which teaches mostly how bad you are, how you must strive to get the heavenly Father’s love. I was in my 40’s before I found refuge from that in a church where the Father’s love was the main teaching…you need not earn it…He freely gives it…a most wonderful gift, indeed! That knowledge removed a large burden from my heart, because I never felt I could measure up for that Father, either. life is filled with complexities…one wishes to be able to solve so many! Love your article!
Thank you, Barb. Yes – both scenarios, no father or a critical father, crush our spirits and often drive people away from the Greatest Father who loves them. So glad you found that liberating church and message!
Such a needed message for today!
There is a new movie that is currently in the theaters called “Soul on Fire”!
It’s a wonderful movie with a great message. The son in this movie had a good father that loved him very much. But because of what happened in the beginning of the movie the son felt unworthy. It’s a must see movie!!
Sounds great, Karen. Thanks for the preview!