Genesis 50:20

The news today is excellent. I think my dad finally received salvation for real.

This morning he called me. I have no idea how he did it, because 1) his cell phone’s battery was discharged when I took him to the ALF, 2) I forgot to take the charger to him, and 3) generally, he can’t use the cell phone without help. He called me anyway. Is it a miracle? I don’t know. Maybe someone charged his phone for him.

He hasn’t had a charger for two and a half weeks.

I have an app that keeps track of him, and right now it says his phone is 65% charged.

When I realized his charger was at home, I decided not to take it to him. I didn’t want him to have a charger, because he wasn’t using the phone, and it was a hassle he didn’t need to deal with. Also, I was concerned he might find a way to call me over and over. I left the phone with him because it’s part of his daily uniform.

The call was distressing. He said he was brokenhearted because I wasn’t around. I never thought I’d hear him say a thing like that. He used the word “brokenhearted.” You can imagine how that felt. What happened to the big, scary guy the whole family used to be afraid of? This can’t be him.

I agreed to visit him in an hour. When I got to the ALF, he was unavailable. One of the employees thought they had found lice on him. Two employees were showering him, and the director was making plans to put him in a private room in order to quarantine him. I have been hoping he would be happy with a roommate because of the interaction would be good for him, and if they put him in a private room, they would charge us an extra $500 per month. It’s a losing proposition in every way.

I went to Wal-Mart to get him a couple of hoodies, and when I came back, he was glad to see me and extremely clean. It turned out he didn’t have lice.

I took him for a walk, and we sat in one of the TV lounges and talked. He kept talking about how he wanted to be with me.

This will sound strange to a Christian who doesn’t hear from God, but even before I went ot the ALF, I was very skeptical about the phone call. People who aren’t saved are heavily influenced by spirits, and my dad’s extraordinary desire to live with me is unusual. Most parents don’t expect to live with their kids. I wondered if spirits were pushing him to try to extend his control over me so he would continue making life hard for me. While I was driving to the ALF, I prayed for help. I figured I was experiencing an attack, so I asked God to turn it against Satan.

While my dad and I were talking, I told him that if he wanted to be with me now, he would want it even more in the next life. I told him he could be with me and my mother, as well as the Lord.

At this point, he said some startling things. He didn’t remember my mother. That’s new. Until now, he has remembered family members consistently. I had to tell him my mother’s maiden name. Once he was reminded, he said he loved my mother, but he couldn’t remember her face.

I felt this was a sign that the end was not far off. One day soon, in all likelihood, I will go to see him, and I’ll have to tell him who I am.

He said he was willing to do what had to be done in order to go to heaven, and he meant it this time. I didn’t see a trace of his former pride or rebellion. He talked about unbelievers as though they were crazy.

I told him he needed to do several things. He needed to confess that he believed Jesus was God and that he believed Jesus paid for his sins on the cross. I said he had to confess that he had sinned, and he had to repent. I said he had to forgive everyone who had sinned against him, and that he had to ask God to forgive them so he could be forgiven.

He got hung up on forgiving people. He said it was very hard. I took that as a good sign, because it showed he was serious. He was concerned about it. If he had had a frivolous mindset, he would have blown through the process and pretended he agreed with everything.

I told him forgiveness was a choice, not a state of mind. You don’t have to be instantly delivered from all anger; you just have to tell God, sincerely, that you choose to forgive. That made him feel better.

We prayed together, and then I told him it was important not to turn back. I said he shouldn’t turn around later and say Christianity was all nonsense or that he didn’t really believe. He agreed completely.

His mindset was much better than it was last year when he prayed for salvation, and this time, I made sure I covered every base. I think we finally got it done.

He kept telling me we should live together. I told him the ALF was the best answer I had for his problems. I said I had done my best and that I couldn’t fix everything. I told him he should pray to God for help. He was not happy when I left, but he accepted it.

My understanding is that he asks everyone where I am and why I’m not there. When people aren’t familiar with the situation, they must think I’ve completely forsaken him.

Day after tomorrow, I plan to take him to Calvary Chapel, and we’ll see what happens. I’m hoping they’ll have a way of baptizing older people who don’t have it together any more. They certainly should. Baptism is important, and a little difficulty doesn’t relieve us of the obligation to try. This area is packed with old people who are demented, so churches here should be very used to baptizing difficult cases.

As I told my dad, this is the best I can do. I’m not his savior. Maybe he’ll never be happy at the ALF, but at least he made a good, solid plea for salvation.

I feel that God turned this attack against the enemy in a big way. The future looks brighter. I hope I still feel this way a month from now. I hope he doesn’t back out again. I know my dad will eventually make it, but I would like to be sure he has turned the corner.