Dave shared his testimony about how his act of tough love led his son to leave their house, but God brought him back.
Where It All Started
Dave and Dorinda Moore’s 19-year-old son went away without a word, leaving only a note. He left his car at a Greyhound bus stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but the note didn’t specify where he was headed. Despite finding the car, their son was nowhere to be found, and there were no open bus stops nearby. When they contacted his girlfriend, she mentioned that she was unaware of his departure but recalled him discussing Dayton, Ohio.
“We knew he’d gotten on a bus and we knew that wherever he got off that bus, he’d be broke and he’d be homeless,” Dave said. Dorinda added, “I was afraid that someone would hurt him and that we would never see him again.”
Tough Love
When Dave was driving for four hours, he ruminated on the growing distance between him and his son due to his anger and strictness. He felt guilty about his son’s departure. Upon reaching Dayton, Dave stopped at a neighborhood diner to eat and shared his story with the officers there. Subsequently, a stranger approached him. Despite not being a Christian, Dave appreciated it when the stranger prayed for him, hoping that God could assist him in finding his son.
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“He had tears streaming down his face. And he said, ‘Sir, I’m really sorry I overheard your conversation. Can I pray for you?’ He prayed this amazing prayer over me and over my son. That God would move mountains to bring my son home safely,” Dave recalled.
Finding The Lost
Later on, they learned that their son’s ticket was purchased to Atlanta, Georgia.
Someone in Kentucky answered the phone and drove with him to Atlanta for eight hours. Although they searched for hours and eventually gave up, they waited for days without hearing from their son. Meanwhile, Dorinda checked her computer and Dave posted signs at school and spoke to his friends. Dave had even considered consulting a psychic but decided to call a church in Atlanta once more instead.
“A lady named Paige answered the phone and I began to tell Paige everything about my story. This lady had touched me so deeply. This Christian woman who didn’t even know me,” he said.
Restored
Dave added, “I looked in front of me, there was a Bible sitting there. I just held it up to God and said, ‘God, I want to be just like this lady. I always want to be part of the solution, never part of the problem again. If You save my son. I’ll serve you for the rest of my life,” Dave prayed.
A few minutes after Dave had finished praying, the phone began to ring. His son had returned to the city!
“I cried out to God. And when He answered that prayer, I just fell on the ground, on my knees, and I just threw my hands in the air and began to thank God,” he recalled.
Tough Love Drove His Son Away, But God’s Love Brought Him Back
They went to church the following Sunday, which was a significant day for them. Additionally, Dorinda recommitted her life to God on that very day. Later that year, during an Easter service, their son David decided to give his life to Christ. Moreover, he received his college degree.
“It was a great restoration in my family. Not only with my son and my wife and I but even my two stepsons. He gave me a new heart and how I became a new man. Not only that but because I was searching for my son, I never realized that God was always searching for me,” Dave concluded.
Reference: The 700 Club
Header image: Dave testifying [The 700 Club]. YouTube, 13 June 2014, https://youtu.be/VN4J0C0Qslo