MY PARENTS ARE DIVORCED
by Hunter Irvine
Dedicated to my dad, and to my mom.
A special thanks to Lillian Mae Irvine, Grandma, for support as I edited away for years.
Copyright 2005 by Hunter Irvine
All rights reserved.
(Revised in 2014.)
All Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV®.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Photograph in chapter three: Copyright randyhofman.com. Used by permission.
Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1 You Are Loved
Chapter 2 Forever Family
Chapter 3 Forgiveness
Chapter 4 Healing
Chapter 5 Love
Chapter 6 Honor
Chapter 7 Dream On
INTRODUCTION
During the summer of 2000, I was invited to serve as counselor at a week-long Christian youth conference on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder. The denominational conference drew 1400 students from all over the continental United States and Puerto Rico. We practically had the University of Colorado campus to ourselves. We slept in CU dorms, and we ate great food in the dining hall. We gathered as a large group to listen to speakers in the basketball coliseum, and students and counselors alike were able to select individual seminars to attend each day after lunch, which were in various campus classrooms. And every late afternoon we had a block of free time. I had a memorable time playing soccer with some students one afternoon, since I scored a big goal.
On the second-to-last day of the extremely full week, as my small group was meeting during our standard time to discuss some points made by a speaker, I had the strong conviction that I needed to go and pray about my parent’s divorce. The conviction made complete sense to me. The University of Colorado library is where my parents first met. There within the CU community is where my parents fell in love. And after they both graduated in the spring of 1965, they soon entered marriage. Also, the year 2000 had involved much personal consideration of my parent’s divorce, since the previous February, I had started writing a “booklet” on the subject. Suddenly, going to pray about their divorce seemed like a gift from God.
During free time that afternoon, I went by myself to the main library of the University of Colorado. Few college students were around, and no conference students were in that area. Approaching the entrance of the library, I realized I did not want to pray inside the library. So instead, I went to a grassy area to the side of the library, where no one was sitting, and I sat on the lush green grass. Sitting a distance from the ivy covered stone wall to my left, directly in the line of the bright sun, I started praying.
Praying much, sometimes speaking out loud in a whisper, I remembered various details. I thought about past family problems, past hurts, my parent’s separation, and their eventual divorce after 27 years of marriage. The praying finally came to a point where, as I relied on Jesus, I forgave my parents for wrongs they had done which hurt me.
Continuing with prayer, I recognized there were still many family problems I had not expressed. After that long afternoon period, I still felt overwhelmed by past family issues. Then, with a booming sound, the bell rang in the campus bell tower. I felt as though my prayer time was over. I had forgiven my parents.
That did not turn out to be the end of my family problems. That did not turn out to be the end of personal struggles in my life. Yet that was a glorious day where there was genuine healing in my heart.
I offer this book to you simply saying I am convicted that Jesus loves you, and that He has the solution which will result in healing and joy if you have been hurt by the divorce of your parents. Ultimately, the love of Jesus is what this book is about.
