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On October 18th last, I wrote: "My Very Dear Son Ted:
I have longed to come to you -- to be with you ln this very sore
trial -- to HELP. Ted, God knows the extenuating circumstances,
and I know He is very mindful of them, in full compassion,
understanding and mercy -- for He loves you even more than I,
a mortal, can. So please let me remind you of what you already
know -- and think on these things -- that God knows that we are
dust -- He knows our human weaknesses -- He does not deal with
us according to our sins as we really deserve -- but, as the
heavens are high above the earth, SO GREAT is His mercy and
forgiveness toward us. (Psalm 103; 11-18.) He gave His only
begotten Son that you shall not perish, but have everlasting
life in His Kingdom. We will be there together! Ted, I am
interceding for you on my knees, fervently, many times a day.
I know you are having to fight a pull in the other way, but our
God is far stronger, and He will deliver you from this sore trial,
and let His face shine upon you, restoring to you the JOY of His
salvation -- and even more than in the past, He will use you!
Look FORWARD, not backward. How wonderful may be our labors
together in finishing the great Work of God! Go to your knees
-- repent! You will win out! With all my love, in Jesus' name.
There were other letters. Later Ted wrote me:
"To my Dearest Father: THANK YOU, Dad, for being the
most completely understanding, patient, considerate, forgiving
father on earth, and for the letters you have sent me; the
gentleness and consideration you have shown me, who deserves
nothing but death, of and by myself. Your letters have helped
me, Dad, more than you can know. I have read them over many
times, and have tried, though I know only imperfectly, to use
them as a daily guide for thought and action.
"I guess no one can ever know how deeply I was bitten;
afflicted of the devil through all my wretchedness of these past
few months -- or just how subtly and cleverly Satan sought to
destroy God's Work through me. I think you do know, as perhaps
no one else does, with the exception of Shirl (Mrs. GTA), who is
here with me now, as I write. I have no excuses. I sinned
mightily against God, against His Church and His Apostle;
against the wife God gave me in my youth; against all my closest
friends.
"Your reaction has been that of a deeply hurt,
concerned, loving and forgiving father -- who would have been
very justified in reacting in wrath, anger, and every normal
emotion. I know God was working in and through you, and I have
been able to have the only bright spots of HOPE for forgiveness
and HOPE for God's own grace by telling myself that if YOU, God's
Apostle and His servant in this end-time age, can still feel
there is some glimmer of hope for me, then it is as if GOD
HIMSELF is telling me the same thing. The hopelessness that I
have felt from time to time, and the temptation to get into a
'what's the use' attitude has been dispelled to a great extent
because of that realization. I was wildly searching about, in
my attempts at self-justification, for the faults and problems
of others, true to human form, to take the spotlight of guilt