During the week of our Christmas Store, one dad, “BJ”, was very excited to shop for his kids. He does not have daily time with all of them, in fact, only one is with him full time right now.

He and his fiancé are repainting all through their house and he has started his own business. He is a hard worker and is a stand-up kind of guy. He is doing all that is required by the court and hopes to be approved for more time with his kids soon. He gets emotional in many of our sessions, expressing his desire to be with them.

BJ was very deliberate in his gift selection, considering all his options for quite a while. “You picked the slowest shopper, Jeff”, he said. Due to the amazing generosity of our donors, he had to visit three rooms in our building to see all the toys. BJ thoughtfully looked through each one, being intentional, voicing concern for one child who prefers certain textures. He did have some plans for Christmas, but bringing home toys from our store was unexpected. He had no idea it would be possible for him to give so much to his kids.

It was fun to hear him express joy, gratitude, and wonder as we loaded his truck with boxes. More importantly, he was exposed to the Biblical Christmas story and the gospel during our session. He admitted that it gave him more to think about than he knew before. Praise God for the opportunities we have to share Good News and Great Joy with dads and moms who come through RETA’s doors! Please pray that BJ’s heart would continue to soften toward the grace and truth of Jesus.

by Jeff, Men’s Coaching Manager