When I was born without a father, You stepped in his place.

You gave me my name, and I started this race.

I was eager and excited, so I ran straight ahead.

But I had left You behind, following the voices in my head.

I trusted my family to lead me to You.

But they already believed in something that wasn’t true.

Little by little, I was guided off track.

But when I realized I was lost, I had no way back.

Everyone I loved was no longer there.

They left me alone.

I was just a burden to bear.

Broken and ashamed, I stumbled through the dark.

I gathered pain like treasure, each one leaving a new mark.

I needed guidance; I needed love.

I searched for them everywhere, except from above.

I failed my Father right from the start.

I couldn’t face Him now, I’d break His heart.

I needed to be better; I needed to be good.

But I was destroying myself in ways I never understood.

You never wanted perfect; I was never meant to live in fear.

You asked for my love; You just wanted me near.

I fell to my knees and begged for You to listen.

“I love you, My child. You’ve already been forgiven.”

You wiped away my tears and pulled me to my feet.

You said, “All I have is for you, the broken, the burned, the meek.

You were never meant to run this race alone.

Now, take my hand, and let’s get you home.”

True love is something that can’t be earned.

And it can’t be felt until you’ve been burned.

God’s love is a fire, it burns warm and bright.

It gives you peace in chaos and the strength to fight.

He put me back on track, “Now you know I’m here.

Keep your faith and don’t look back, you have nothing to fear.

Hold tight to My words, and you’ll finish this race.

Stay on the path and one day… we’ll meet face to face.”

Now, I was running this race… not for me, but for God.

He was there from the beginning; He knew my whole facade.

But when He had the chance to punish me, He didn’t.

Jesus died on the cross… to take what I couldn’t.

My Father’s love is perfect.

My Father’s love is pure.

My Father’s gates are open…

To all those… who endure.

…

1 John 4:16-19

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.”

John 3:16-17

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Romans 5:6-8

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”