Abandoned No More
Abandoned by his birth parents, this young man bounced between several foster homes in New York. He was uncertain of who he was or where he belonged until a kind foster father showed him love and mercy even though Schwartz felt unworthy of either emotion. Shortly after being adopted by this man, his father became very ill and another man, his high school basketball coach assumed the role of mentor and father figure. Not wanting to disappoint either of them, the young man began to change his destructive habits, accepting the unconditional love that was shown to him.
Schwartz recognized the correlation between the acceptance shown to him by his two mentors and the mercy and love that is given by our Heavenly Father. These men were able to save an at-risk youth by mirroring God’s grace.