25 Feb My Testimony by Brenda Bonogofsky
I grew up in Northern Virginia with my parents and 3 older brothers. My father was an alcoholic and drug addict. He was a very angry man most of the time. There were many days my mother and I would go to a hotel or her sisters to stay away from my father. He physically and emotionally abused me.
I was 7 when dad came home drunk with a gun and wanted my brothers and I to go with him. We said no, we would stay with Mom. He got angry and sent us to our rooms, then came into our rooms and shot over our heads. A bullet landed less than an inch from my side. Then he emptied his pockets and threw everything on the floor. He made Mom pick it all up then shot her in the thumb.
I could share so many stories of things my father did to us. However, that is not where the story ended.
We had a wonderful neighbor, Vera Mills. She would have Bible Studies in her home and would invite me and my brothers. The Bible Studies led me to accept the Lord as my Savior. If it was not for Vera, I truly believe I would not be here today.
When I was 36. I was praying and worshiping in my house. God said to me, “You need to forgive your father for everything. I want to use you, but can’t if you will not forgive.” I was like, “What? God, I don’t know if I can do that.”
It seemed that the devil was on one side of me and God on the other. I remember the song that was playing. ” Is there a Heaven for Me” by Roy Boltz. I heard the devil say, “You can’t forgive him.” I said, “You’re wrong.” I declared, “Lord, I forgive My Father for everything he did to me.” Afterwards, I had a great joy I had never felt before.
A year later I got a call that my father was in the hospital and had died, but they had been able to revive him. I walked in to the ICU room and looked at him and said, “Dad, you know I love you, but God loves you more.” He answered, “Yes.” I led my father to the Lord that day. He lived several more years and my father told me he was sorry for everything he did to me and our family.
I shared all this to say: If I had not forgiven my dad that day, when the Lord asked me to, my dad would not be in heaven. It is still hard to believe God used me to lead my dad to him.
It does not matter how much someone has hurt you, you must find it in yourself, with God’s help, to forgive them. When we do, then God can and will work in their lives to restore them. You never know, God could even use you to lead them to the Lord.
Meet Brenda Bonogofsky
Brenda was born and raised in Fairfax, VA., where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies at Cornerstone College. She now lives in Billings, MT with her husband, John, near his extended family. Their son, Matthew, and his wife, Kira, have given them three beautiful grand-kids.
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