I attended a men’s fellowship, (called X 3de Kamp) where I met an older guy who testified that he never heard anything positive from his dad. He was always put down, told how useless he was and that he could never do anything right. His dad has since passed away and he could never forgive his father for all the negativity towards him. As a result, he never achieved anything at school. When he started to work, he could not keep a job and started believing all the bad things his dad always said to him. Life turned on him, no relationships or marriages lasted, which all resulted in him hating his dad even more. He felt cursed and because his dad passed once, he was left with all the hatred and lack of peace.
At that time, I felt the prompting from God to walk up to this old man, to stand proxy for his dad, asking forgiveness for what I did to him. The old man broke down, saying he has never had to opportunity to feel a hug from his dad or to be told that he was loved by his father. I gave him a hug, saying that I loved him. He in turn could ask for forgiveness for the mistakes he made.
A few years later the old man phoned me, thanking me for standing proxy for his father, to facilitate the healing that could take place on that day. He told me that, in the meantime, his life took a turn for the better because he could move on.
Gawie de Lange