A Daughter’s Journey: Walking Hand in Hand with Our Heavenly Father

July 25, 2023 Cyndi

My parents separated when I was seven, after which my single mom raised me. Growing up (in the Netherlands), my father was mostly absent. I spent bi-weekly weekends with him, but that wasn’t enough to have a strong father-daughter bond. He loved me; I didn’t doubt that. That love wasn’t put into visible and concrete forms, though.

Apart from lacking a proper relationship with my earthly father, I didn’t have any relationship with my heavenly Father. My parents raised me as an atheist. I hated church, Christians, and everything that had to do with Christianity.

Even though I didn’t want to hear from God, He pretty much wanted to hear from me. I wasn’t looking for Him, but He was still looking for me.

He knew me before I was born

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)

God knows us. He wanted us before we were born, whether born in a Christian family, an atheist family, or even an anti-christ family. He has a purpose for each of us. And the same as with an earthly father, He desires to see that purpose come to flourish. He longs to see what He put in us come to fruition. Earthly fathers can wish the best for us, but they didn’t place our purpose in us. God did.

My parents raised me as an atheist, with a strong hatred of the church and Christians. I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Nothing! I wasn’t baptized as a baby, had never been inside a church building, and had never opened the Bible. And I for sure didn’t acquaint myself with Christians.

Little did I know God had plans for me. Good plans.

When there is no way, God makes a way

I was 25 in 1994 when I was working on my master’s thesis, and I needed to do field research to complement my theoretical study. Through academic selection, the choice became Ghana in West Africa. Since I didn’t have the needed funds, I applied with various trusts and scholarships to sponsor my trip abroad. I made sure to apply only to non-religious organizations. I prided myself on the fact I got a scholarship from a trust that had just 1 requirement: to be non-religious! Several organizations gave me money for my trip, enabling me to go to Ghana for field research. In total, I even received double what I requested! (I didn’t know then that God was already working on my behalf).

From my first day in Ghana until the last, I met Christians everywhere I went. They spoke to me, approached me, preached to me, and challenged my beliefs. I didn’t like it at all! Yet I was there and had to complete my trip. In most cases, I didn’t have a way out, so I had to listen to ‘those people’. By and by, whether I liked it or not, God started working within me. I wasn’t aware of it, but He was doing it—deep inside me.

In relation to my field research, I visited a church service—as I noticed many Ghanaians attending church on Sundays. I wanted to know more about the culture and went to church for the first time in my life, purely for academic reasons! However, something must have happened inside me, as I continued attending church on Sundays. To me, it was still because of academic research and social communications. After a few weeks, I looked back and realized I felt peace on Sundays. In my inquisitive spirit, I decided to test this and attended more church services. To see whether my ‘theory’ of peace on Sundays after church service was correct.

God used so many people to reach me, almost every day, in various ways. When I went to do shopping, youngsters would ask me, “Hey, Obroni (*white woman), do you know Jesus?”. When I asked a man for directions on the way, He would guide me to where I needed to be if I promised to listen to Him. I promised to my regret, as along the way, He only spoke about eternal life and heaven. Believers came to the guesthouse where I stayed and started quoting verses to me about being a sinner (I was so angry!!!). In church, ladies took me by the hand and shared their faith with me. Believers in the guesthouse approach me and I replied to them, “My parents raised me as an unbeliever”. They then simply said, “You are old enough now to make your own decisions”. They got me with this question. Me, being recalcitrant and not willing to follow anyone’s instructions, I realized they were right. If I always do what I myself decide, then I can’t hide behind my parents.

These, and many other encounters, led me to Christ. I had no other way than to accept He is Lord and I accepted Him as Lord over my life. Today, over 25 years later, I still walk hand in hand with God, my Father.

My Father cares for me (and carries me)

My life had been tough before I met Christ, but I survived. It made me an independent, self-sufficient woman. I was a ‘strong woman’, I did everything myself and didn’t need (or want) advice from anyone. But I wasn’t at peace. I always felt alone, even with people around me, and I thought no one liked me.

On the last evening of my stay in Ghana, a young believer came to me and must have told me about God as Father. I don’t remember what he said, as I even couldn’t recall that the next day, but I know it changed my life. A big load fell off my shoulders. I literally felt it being removed. I had a Father! Now, I didn’t have to do ‘it’ alone anymore.

With that knowledge, I returned to The Netherlands and started my life journey with God, my Father.

Whenever I think of my past, I remember this about God, my Father:

I didn’t know Him—He knew me.

I didn’t look for Him—He looked for me.

I didn’t care about Him—He cared about me.

I didn’t have the funds for the trip—He provided.

I thought I was alone—He knew he was my Father.

Take-away

If God cared so much for me-a sinner, not believing in Him, hating church and Christians-how much more does He care for you, His daughter? If He shook Heaven and Earth to get me to Ghana to reach me, how much more can He do to reach you and change you?

I have always been so much in awe that God cared for me when I didn’t care at all. He took me how I was, lost and deeply in sin—He didn’t judge me. He made the effort to bring me to Ghana so He could reach me—from all sides and in manifold ways. He loved me as a Father when I didn’t even know Him. He made me His daughter when I didn’t deserve any second chance.

Now, I walk with Him as His daughter—hand in hand. I love Him and I am grateful for my life. I thank Him for going the extra mile to ‘get me’.

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