Faith, Fatherhood, and Overcoming the Past

My son just turned four. It’s a fun, exhausting, and sometimes frustrating age—one where every day is an adventure, full of questions, laughter, and moments that test your patience. But more than anything, it’s an age where children need their parents the most. That fact hits me hard because I was four years old—the same age my son is now—when my parents left me to be raised by my grandparents.

I can’t remember the exact moment they walked away, but I have lived with the reality of it my entire life. My father chose not to stay. My mother couldn’t. They were caught in their own struggles, weighed down by poverty, addiction, and brokenness. And so, at four years old, I was left behind—placed in the care of my grandparents, who already had their own battles to fight. They loved me, and they did the best they could with what little they had. But no matter how much love they poured into me, there was always something missing.

Now, as a father, I cannot fathom walking away from my son. He is at an age where he needs me for everything—from tying his shoes to helping him navigate big emotions. He needs reassurance that he is loved, that he is safe, and that his parents will always be there for him. And I refuse to let him experience even a fraction of the abandonment I did.

I thank God every day that my life is different now. My wife and I do okay financially, and we no longer live in the poverty that defined my childhood. But money isn’t what makes the difference for my son—it’s presence. It’s being there. It’s showing up for him in ways my parents never did for me.

God’s design for family is intentional. Parents are meant to raise their children, to guide them, to love them, and to set them on the right path. While I am forever grateful for the sacrifices my grandparents made, I know that a child thrives best when they are nurtured by the parents God gave them. The Bible tells us to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), and that training starts with simply being there—day in and day out, in both the mundane and the extraordinary moments of life.

This is what Me and Poverty is all about. It’s not just about the financial struggles I escaped, but the deeper poverty of being without the love and support of my parents. It’s about breaking generational cycles and ensuring that my son—and every child—has the chance to grow up with the security, love, and guidance they deserve.

As I celebrate my son’s fourth birthday, I do so with the overwhelming gratitude that I get to be his father. That I get to be present. That I get to give him what I never had. And I pray that every child, no matter their circumstances, will have someone in their life who refuses to walk away.

In Jesus’ name,