The young girl is bright, talented, and until about three years ago was almost a model child -- then she began to rebel.  This took the form of drug involvement, skipping school, then running away from home, and then total rejection of her parents.

You can imagine the parents’ desperation and despair -- the pain and powerlessness, and, of course, the guilt and feelings of failure.

In a long-distance telephone conversation, the mother was sobbing as she shared her grief and guilt with me.  You could almost feel the emotional pain throbbing through the telephone receiver.  I knew that she was taking the burden of guilt upon herself.  Clearly and with conviction, I said, “In the name of Christ, you are forgiven.”

I could feel the quiet come over her, and even by remote communication I could sense the relief and release  she was experiencing.  The tone of her voice changed, as she said, “Thank you.  Oh, thank you!”

There are people around you who need to hear that word -- the word of forgiveness -- and you can speak it.