The responsibility of being a father is awesome.

It’s not only about being a good provider and protector, but most importantly, about being the spiritual head of the family.

As a provider and protector, I graded myself above average. As a spiritual head, I was a failure.

Sure, I went to church religiously with my family, enjoyed the social part about church membership and spoke about God and everything that went along with belonging to an organization.

The one thing I missed out on was the most important. I never had a personal relationship with God’s Son, Jesus. If had died during that time, I now know I would have spent eternity in hell.

That changed on the second Sunday in October, 1980, when I was born-again and began a personal relationship with Jesus. I had never read the Bible until then, even though I had five in my house where people could see them.

The only thing I did was dust them occasionally.

When reading the Bible, my eyes were opened to what God’s Word promises and warns against.

I’ve enjoyed many of his promises, but have seen what sin will do, not only to the fathers, but to the family members.

Numbers 14:18 reads: “The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.”

I’ve seen some of my family reaping the benefits of my riotous living. It grieves me that I’ve reaped what I’ve sowed.

At my age and working in God’s ministry of Get High on Life, I’ve seen the tragedy in other people’s lives because of sin.

Today, I have a heavy heart because a young lady who is a heroin addict gave birth to a baby who is addicted to heroin because of the mother’s use while pregnant.

The mother’s father is also a drug user who sought treatment years ago and stayed drug-free a few years, but returned to his sin habit of drug abuse.

That’s only one example, together with my alcoholism, that God’s Word comes to life in people’s lives. Many blessings, but, oh, so many curses.

If you have any questions or comments, please write Harold Keller at Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-542-8477 or email hkeller@comcast.net.