The Love Of a Father

Reverend V.L. Parker on his way to preach the Word!

A Father’s Lesson

I grew up in a blended family, where love was sometimes tangled with rivalry, whispers, and unseen battles. My stepfather, V.L. Parker, who was also a pastor, watched over us all. For reasons only God knows, he took a particular interest in me. His care was more than fatherly; it was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal.

He became my guide, showing me the way of the Bible, not with empty words but with a stern, steady hand. My Dad, corrected me when I strayed, comforted me when I stumbled, and constantly reminded me that life was not about chasing what others claimed but about standing on the Word of God.

There were seasons of betrayal in our home. Lies spread like wildfire, manipulation tested our unity, and deceit threatened to divide us. Yet in every storm, my father, V.L. Parker, and I clung to Scripture, learning together what forgiveness truly meant. He didn’t just preach about faith—he lived it, and he taught me how to live it too.

Through trials and tribulations, I leaned on him, and he never failed to point me back to Christ. His presence was my anchor, and when death finally took him, it nearly shattered me. For a time, I believed I had lost the one person who understood me completely.

But then I remembered: he had been preparing me all along. Pastor Parker had introduced me to the greatest Father—the One who never leaves nor forsakes us. Through my stepfather’s stern love and biblical guidance, I discovered a faith that could outlast grief, a strength that could endure sorrow, and a hope rooted not in man, but in Jesus Christ.

Today, I stand as a woman shaped by pain, by love, and by loss. But above all, I stand as a believer. Because without God, you truly have nothing. My father, Pastor V.L. Parker, showed me that truth, and though he is gone, his lesson remains: we are never fatherless when we belong to Christ.