Susie Larson
6 min read ⭑
I shuffled out to my morning prayer spot, grabbed a decaf coffee with almond creamer, heated my cinnamon-scented neck wrap and snuggled into my favorite prayer nook. I looked at my husband to wish him a good morning before starting my prayer time. I was undone by what I saw. With his head back, eyes closed and hands resting on his Bible, which lay open on his chest, he tried to control his tears, but his lips quivered as he quietly wept. He didn’t look at me, couldn’t speak. He was clearly touched by the hand of God.
With my hand over my mouth, I held my breath. I didn’t want to disrupt this moment, and yet I wanted in on it. What was God saying to him?
My husband is one of the most capable and competent people I know. He is steady, solid, consistent and intelligent. He is also gentle, kind and loving, and he has a deep love for Jesus. He works as a senior project manager, building sports stadiums and large hospitals. Additionally, he serves as a global elder at our church. He mentors young men in the marketplace. Our sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren completely adore him.
Yet, for the longest time, he’s had a father wound. Deep inside, where most would never notice or even wonder about, lives a core lie that he isn’t worth pursuing. He fathers everyone within his sphere of influence so well that you’d never think there was a hole in his own heart.
Kévin et Laurianne Langlais; Unsplash
Kev loved his parents; they were dear, precious people. They are in heaven now. His dad was a quiet, meek and even passive man. He worked a lot, was rarely available and didn’t actively pursue Kev. These traits were common in that generation. He was faithful to his wife, hardworking and loved Jesus. Kev would never dare to dishonor his father. Kev is profoundly grateful for growing up in a Christian home. Yet even as an adult, he’d call his dad only to sense his desire to end the conversation quickly to return to his TV show or woodworking. He was a simple man — not engaged, but very kind. However, Kev has never felt that his dad had any interest in his life — no input, challenges or corrections. No pursuit. None whatsoever.
It was hard for Kev to come to grips with the pain buried deep beneath the surface, because he didn’t fault his dad in any way. It was just the way things were in those days. But the Lord never leaves us with open wounds. He intends to heal them all. He allows circumstances and situations to stir the pot so that we can see what surfaces.
This wound showed up at the most unexpected times. And Kev hated it. It made him feel weak and vulnerable. But he couldn’t deny its presence in his heart. He’d ask himself, Am I worth pursuing? Worth investing in? Worth fighting for? Worth the time?
I sat in my little spot on the couch, unable to take my eyes off my husband. This man whom I love so much. This man who had guided me through the fires of hell during my health battles with Lyme disease. Witnessing him tremble and feel undone was almost more than I could bear. I waited quietly and prayed for him. It was a truly sacred moment.
Then, he lifted his head, sat up a little straighter, and, with a cracked voice, gently said, “I’ve just encountered God.” He went on to tell me that he woke up wide-awake at 4 a.m. with the strong sense that the Lord wanted to meet with him. Kev went out to his prayer chair, pushed play on his worship playlist, rested his head and closed his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt a palpable sense of God’s presence. He didn’t move. With startling clarity, Kev became aware of the deep father wound in his heart. But before he could feel vulnerable or exposed, Kev envisioned God’s fatherly hand reaching down from heaven and touching that tender spot with immense strength and compassion. Kev held his breath.
Kev felt God’s healing hand on his heart in the most miraculous, tangible way. He felt warmth, love, peace and an unexplainable sense of God’s nearness. With the pressure of God’s gentle hand still on Kev’s heart, the Father whispered, “I’m so sorry, son.” Kev broke down and cried. God’s tender compassion undid him. At that very moment, a song from Kev’s playlist started to play. A song by Lenny LeBlanc: “There is none like You / No one else can touch my heart like You do.”
Kev began to weep, and he couldn’t stop. Then, the Lord’s voice thundered in his spirit once more. He said, “I need you healed and ready because I’m coming soon. I have things for you to do. I need my people healed and prepared because I have great work for them to do before I return.” I’m hesitant to share this next part, but I will because it was part of Kev’s sacred, beautiful experience. After the Lord’s charge to Kev, he saw a vision of King Jesus, with the strength of a warrior, looking over his shoulder, pointing and telling an angel, “Go get my horse.”
“What’s yours to do? It’s to trust him. Trust him when he says he loves you, treasures you and wants to transform you into someone you never dreamed you could be.”
With both hands over my mouth, I wept too. I couldn’t contain it. That God would love my husband so much that he’d intervene in such a tender, healing way? Well, it takes my breath away.
We both needed to get ready for work but couldn’t. We sat together for two hours, held hands, cried and thanked God for his personal, powerful ways with his children.
Something shifted with Kev after that. He suddenly felt a holy urgency to make the days count for eternity. Although he was fully engaged in the kingdom before this, there was suddenly a power and presence about him that wasn’t there before. Kev couldn’t talk about that encounter without crying. And if you haven’t met him, he’s a big, strapping man’s man. Not one given to emotional displays.
From that encounter, Kev emerged joyful, tender, in awe and freshly assured of his Father’s love. The things that usually bothered him suddenly became inconsequential. He already had a healthy sense of identity, but this deepened his spiritual root system, forever changing how he walks with God. This fresh revelation of God’s fatherly character awakened Kev’s understanding of his identity and kingdom call.
How would you respond if God met you in such a way? Would you be undone? Want to run and hide? Wonder if God is mad at you?
Do you know that you’re safe in his care? That he loves you with an everlasting love? Do you dare ask him to show you how he feels about you?
My friend Ann Voskamp writes this:
Look into the eyes of a love that sacrifices for you, that lives to give to you, that surrenders for you, that covers you, that sustains you, that always unconditionally carries you — and you will commit your life and death to love the same. Here is a place to linger: Jesus Christ’s love to see you exceeds even your own ache to be seen. His eyes are full of compassion for you — and that compassion is the very passage to complete change within you. Being united with him is being whole.
One of the worst pains in life is feeling unseen, unknown, unloved. And though the pain is real, the message of rejection is a lie. Jesus came to Earth to prove it to you. You’re a precious gift to him. And he’s committed to your healing journey. If you’ll let him, he’ll lift the layered lies from your heart and replace them with the truth. He’s done the hard work. He’s paid the ultimate price.
What’s yours to do? It’s to trust him. Trust him when he says he loves you, treasures you and wants to transform you into someone you never dreamed you could be. Can you picture it? A more healed, healthy version of yourself? Ask God today for a fresh revelation of who he is, and a more truthful perspective of who you are. He loves to answer prayers like that.
Susie Larson is a bestselling author, national speaker and host of the popular radio show Susie Larson Live. Whether behind a desk or a mic, Susie lives out her passion to see people everywhere awakened to the depth of God’s love, the value of their souls and the height of their calling in Christ Jesus. She is the author of over 20 books and devotionals and writes Daily Blessings. Susie and her husband, Kevin, have been married since 1985 and have three sons, three daughters-in-law and a growing crew of grandchildren. They enjoy biking, family time and relaxing by the lake near their home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Taken from “More Than You Can Imagine: What God Does When You Trust Him” by Susie Larson. Copyright © 2026. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson.
