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b'\\u201cYou never listen to me! You never do what I ask.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Well, you\\u2019re always nagging me!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nCarter had come home from school to his parents yelling at each other again\\u2026and, even an hour later, it was still going on.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Can you guys please stop arguing?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Carter said. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I can\\u2019t even concentrate on my homework.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153How is doing your homework going to help you?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d his dad said, eyes burning. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153You won\\u2019t get anywhere in life. You\\u2019re a failure in school, and you won\\u2019t become anything later in your life!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153John!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d his mom shrieked. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153How could you say that?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nCarter stared at his dad as tears stung his eyes. He turned and went up to his room. He sat down and tried to study some more, but he couldn\\u2019t stop hearing his dad\\u2019s harsh words. This wasn\\u2019t the first time Carter\\u2019s dad had said such horrible things to him. He kept wondering whether he really would get anywhere in his life. He wondered why his dad didn\\u2019t love him. He prayed, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153God, if my dad won\\u2019t love me, will You? Show me how to love my dad. Please let them stop arguing.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nThe next morning, he called Pastor Jeff and asked if they could talk. When Carter explained what was going on, Pastor Jeff let out a deep sigh.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Oh, Carter,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d he said. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I\\u2019m so sorry you\\u2019re going through this. Your dad is verbally abusing you, and that is not okay. Do you need a place to stay?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\n***\\nIt had been months since Carter had moved out, but the memory still hurt.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153God wants me to love and forgive my dad. How can I when he hurt me with his words?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Carter asked Pastor Jeff.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Forgiveness is hard, Carter, especially in cases of abuse. But, as Jesus was agonizing on the cross, He cried out that God forgive the people who crucified Him. And Jesus lives in you through the Holy Spirit, and He has empowered you to forgive others. As your relationship with God grows, and as you understand more and more how much God loves you, you may find it becomes easier to forgive your dad. And remember, forgiving your dad doesn\\u2019t mean you have to be in a close relationship with him,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d said Pastor Jeff.\\nThat night Carter prayed that God would soften his heart toward his dad. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Jesus, I don\\u2019t want to carry this burden around. Help me to forgive my dad like you\\u2019ve forgiven him.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d \\u2022 Alexis Wohler\\n\\u2022 If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse and if the situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away.\\n\\u2022 If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.\\n\\u2022 Have you ever been hurt by your parent\\u2019s words? How did it feel? How did you react? \\n\\u2022 All parents sometimes speak hurtful words in the heat of a bad moment, and the right response for Christian parents is to repent and seek help. There is hope and forgiveness in Jesus\\u2026and as our relationship with God grows, the Holy Spirit transforms us to become more and more like Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23). When Christian parents make bad choices, sometimes they need to be guided and corrected by other Christians. On the other hand, people who haven\\u2019t put their trust in Jesus don\\u2019t have the Holy Spirit inside them (as their helpe'