Maybe you’ve been struggling for a long time. You’re trying to stay strong, but the weight of everything has made it hard to keep going.

Can you relate to that feeling?

Daniel Dela Cruz knows exactly how you feel. His story began with loss, carried years of pain, and almost convinced him that his life will always be broken and hopeless.

When his parents separated, he was left in the care of his grandmother and aunt. As years passed, one question haunted him.

“Why did my parents leave me?” he lamented.

If you’ve ever felt abandoned, you know that pain doesn’t just disappear. It follows you and shapes how you see yourself.

And sometimes, the hardest truth to accept is this: the people closest to you are the ones who hurt you the most. In Daniel’s case, the abuse came from his own uncle. Simple mistakes turned violent.

“Every time my uncle saw me do something wrong, he would scold me and beat me. One time, I just bought the wrong thing, and he strangled me with a wire,” Daniel shared.

Can you imagine being a child and realizing you are not safe? That was Daniel’s reality. He began to question his worth.

“I kept asking myself, why do I have to experience things like this? It felt like I was never treated as family,” he recalled.

Maybe you’ve asked the same thing, “Why am I the one going through this?” Maybe you’ve wondered if something is wrong with you to deserve that kind of treatment.

Daniel carried the same questions. The only person who truly understood him was his grandmother. But when she passed away, he lost his protector, “When my grandmother was gone, that’s when I started trying all kinds of things, because I felt like no one loved me anymore.”

With no one to lean on, he learned to fend for himself. He sold candies and dried fish just to survive. Still, the abuse continued. Eventually, the pain hardened into anger.

At just Grade 5, Daniel began drinking, engaging in vices, joining gangs, and getting into constant fights. His life became a cycle of rebellion and trouble. Deep inside, he was just a hurting child.

“I questioned God. Of all the people in the world, why did I have to be the one to experience that kind of cruelty? No one knew how much I was struggling.”

If you’re going through something similar—lost, unloved, and hurting in silence—know that you’re not alone. Even in the darkest moments, God can rescue you in ways you never expect.

For Daniel, that rescue came in a simple invitation. A friend’s father asked him to join a youth camp. That moment changed his life. He heard the pastor’s message: “No matter what you’re going through right now, the Lord is there for you. There is still hope for you.”

Daniel cried, “Lord, I surrender my life to You.”

God answered his prayer and Daniel’s life changed.

Daniel became active in church, finished a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, and later served as a camp director and Bible school professor. His passion to serve also led him to missions work in Thailand and Cambodia, where he helped start churches and a basketball ministry.

“God gave me the love I didn’t feel from my parents. He gave me peace in my heart. He gave me a new life. So Lord, I will serve You,” Daniel testified.

As a result of following the Lord, Daniel’s family began to heal. God helped him forgive his uncle and parents. His relationship with his father was restored, and he introduced Daniel to his new family. They also had the opportunity to know Jesus and started attending church more often.

“There is still hope. The Lord is always there, no matter what happens in life. We only need to keep trusting Him,” he ended.

If you feel broken and hopeless right now, if you wonder if things will ever get better, God says otherwise.

Like Daniel, there is still hope for you. God has not given up on you. No matter how painful your past has been, He can restore what was broken, heal what was wounded, and give you a future filled with purpose.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Your story is not over. Your pain is not the end. In Jesus, a new beginning is always possible. Come to Him and receive your new life.