Unexpected 3 a.m. Feedings

My parents divorced when I was four. Dad was a gambler, alcoholic, and womanizer, leaving Mom to work multiple jobs to support us. I bounced between homes and schools, and by middle school Dad had mostly disappeared. Amid the chaos, I chased achievement—straight A’s, class president—masking my brokenness behind a smile.

Though Mom and Dad made brief attempts to take us to church, I eventually went alone, walking or riding the Sunday-school bus. I believed in God and accepted Christ as my Savior, but I still longed for deeper guidance.

Years later in college, I got a call. Dad was in the ICU with burns to 75 percent of his body. He told me the Lord had appeared to him, and he was quitting alcohol. Then he asked me to join him in a daily Bible-reading commitment. Despite our distance, I said yes without hesitation.

After graduating, I moved to New York to pursue acting. Dad, now out of the hospital, started calling me at 3 or 4 a.m. several times a week.

“Candace, get your Bible,” he’d say. For the next hour, we’d dive into Scripture—Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation. This went on for over a year. I grew in my love for God’s Word, and my life began to change.

I eventually saw how the leader of a religious group I’d been attending was twisting Scripture. When I asked Dad for clarity, he said, “Don’t take my word for it. Go to the Bible and examine it daily for yourself.”

That changed everything. I left the group, began leading a women’s Bible study, ended an unhealthy relationship, and left the entertainment industry due to questionable content. Later, I met my husband at church. Dad became an ordained pastor, and Mom also came to faith and started teaching Bible studies.

Most importantly, I finally grasped God’s grace. I didn’t need achievement to prove my worth because Christ had done it all. My value was in him. Through his Word, he healed me.

I eventually returned to acting, seeing it through God’s purpose. Though Dad has since passed, I keep one of his Bibles—a reminder of the day I said yes.

By Candace Kirkpatrick

Do you have a godly mentor who helps you grow in your faith and to whom you can express your gratitude? Do you have someone to whom you can pass on the wisdom and knowledge God has given you?