Francesca is a divorced woman in her mid-60s with a 30-year-old daughter named Tina. After returning to South Carolina from visiting Tina in Washington, D.C., Francesca had what she describes as a God moment.

That investment paid off. Tina landed a well-paying career as a paralegal at a prestigious law firm in D.C. But after spending a week in Tina’s upscale row-home and meeting her new friends, Francesca realized something that broke her heart: Tina had embraced the secular darkness of this world and turned her back on God.

As Francesca tells it:

“I was driving south on I-95, growing more and more agitated after visiting Tina. I felt angry, heartbroken, and fearful all at once. I was angry that Tina had walked away from her belief in God. I began crying—not only because I felt like I was losing my daughter to this world, but because she would never be able to enjoy eternity with me in God’s presence when He eventually calls us home.

I was fearful for my daughter’s soul. I pounded my steering wheel and cried out to God, asking, ‘What happened to the saying the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?’”

Francesca is an attractive woman for her age, and she was even more so when she was Tina’s age. Beyond the uncanny physical resemblance between mother and daughter, Francesca had assumed that because Tina looked like her and was raised much like her, she would also become her mini-me—the natural fruit of her upbringing.

Then God answered her.

“It is true that the apple does not fall far from the tree.
But you are not the tree. Tina has embraced the ways of her father.”

Francesca said she heard God’s voice clearly, though it was not audible. It was as if He spoke from within her—calm, gentle, and matter-of-fact. She immediately stopped crying. She knew it was the Lord because His words were truthful.

Suddenly, it was obvious. Tina was drawn to the same darkness her father had embraced. How had Francesca not seen it before? Tina would become the thorn in her side that required ongoing prayer.

Some readers might assume that her parents’ divorce is the reason Tina walked away from her faith. While divorce certainly creates challenges, I’ve known many Christian families with long, faithful marriages who still experience prodigal children (Three Sons, Three Paths). That is also the underlying hope—that prodigal sons and daughters will one day return .

This is not primarily a problem of circumstances. It is a problem of the heart.

People can grow up with the most loving, Bible-centered upbringing and still turn away from God. Conversely, how often have we heard stories of people who came to faith despite being raised in horrific, ungodly environments?

Scripture teaches us that living a Christian life does not eliminate conflict and heartache. In fact, they often become more pronounced. Struggle and heartbreak can be indicators that you are living in agreement with God’s will—because that is when the devil throws the most flak, when you are directly over the target.

The challenge is learning to trust God in the middle of the assault. That is precisely why the enemy attacks—to wedge himself between you and your trust in God.

For mature believers, God’s Word fortifies us, nourishes us, and teaches us to:

Be Prayerful:
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” – Jeremiah 29:12

Endure:
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4

Be Thankful:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Be Purposeful:
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” – Colossians 3:2

Believe in His promise:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39

Unfortunately, Francesca’s situation is not uncommon. Many Christian parents fear for the salvation of their children or grandchildren. Some become so shaken that they unintentionally make matters worse by trying to become their loved one’s savior.

Pride whispers, “I’m not going to let the devil have my child.” But those efforts often push loved ones further from God and deeper into darkness. What is often forgotten is that Jesus already completed the work of salvation on the cross. His final word was Tetelestai—It is finished (paid in full).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

The best we can do is pray that they will:

• Repent — change direction and turn toward Him
• Receive — be filled with His light and accept Jesus’ finished work
• Restore — their intimate relationship with Him

Jesus said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.– John 14:6

If you truly desire to be united with your loved ones in eternity and to enjoy His presence together, then pray for them—and trust in His promise.

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. – Mark 11:24

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