By: Ben McEachen
Like every parent, Scott expected the usual things for his three sons and their lives.
What he didn’t expect for his youngest son was criminal charges.
“In 2019, he managed to get hold of some alcohol, get drunk, take my car and write it off,” Scott said in our interview.
“He was arrested at the age of 16 and convicted at the age of 17 of underage DUI and some other stuff. He now carries a criminal record.”
Candid, heartfelt and raw, Scott began to break down as he shared that nothing could prepare you for such an event.
“It’s not a journey I would recommend for anybody,” Scott said. “But you learn a lot about what it is to be a father and how to love unconditionally.
“I’m a self-confessed Christian so my worldview is God loves my son more than I do. My job is to emulate that love as much and best as I can.”
Be real
Scott wants you to hear his own experiences and challenges, to encourage us all to be real, not pretend or fake.
“I wish people would have those real conversations about what is important in life and acknowledge that life not perfect – and that’s OK,” Scott said. “For whatever reason, we often try to paint our lives as picture perfect; nothing is wrong and there are no problems.”
Scott does not want to paint any such picture.
God with us
He also wants to give credit to God for helping him through anything that life serves up.
Whether someone professes the faith in Jesus that Scott has, or they do not, he implored all of us to consider what has sustained and supported him.
“The Christian faith is the only faith in the world that gives you hope,” Scott said. “It doesn’t require you to do anything to be saved. It doesn’t require anything at all for God to love you unconditionally and to support you.
“That is what I have felt through my entire journey – tough as it has been – with my son and as a father. I never doubted that God was with me. I never doubted that Jesus had my best interests at heart.”
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.