Suzanne & Alan Happs: When Your Child Walks Away from Faith: Praying for a Prodigal and Trusting God in the Waiting: Page 279
The Unfolding
Northwestern Media
4.9 • 867 Ratings
🗓️ 24 April 2026
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What do you do when your child walks away from everything you've raised them to believe?
For Suzanne and Alan Happs, that question became deeply personal when their son told them, "I'm not exactly sure I believe any of that anymore." What followed was 13 and a half years of praying, waiting, questioning, and learning what it really means to trust God with someone you love.
In this episode, Suzanne and Alan share:
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What it felt like to watch their son deconstruct his faith
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The mistakes they made, and what they wish they had done differently
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How they learned to love without controlling or pushing
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What sustained their faith through years of heartbreak and uncertainty
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The moment everything began to change, and the powerful way God brought their son back
If you are praying for a prodigal child, a loved one who has walked away from faith, or someone who feels far from God, this story will meet you right where you are.
Next week, don't miss Part 2—Jake Happs shares his side of the story. What led him away from faith? And what ultimately drew him back to Jesus?
Show Notes:
Suzanne on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanne.happs
Praying for Your Prodigal book: https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Your-Prodigal-Kyle-Idleman/dp/1434707717
Share about your Unfolding story here: https://bit.ly/UnfoldingStories
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Page 279 of the unfolding is the story of Suzanne and Alan Haps. |
| 0:06.3 | The moment was when he came home for a visit. |
| 0:09.6 | I'll never forget. |
| 0:10.6 | He said, well, I'm not exactly sure I believe any of that anymore. |
| 0:14.1 | I remember feeling like someone just threw a brick at me. |
| 0:17.5 | Like, wait, what? |
| 0:18.6 | And then that's where I knew we had turned a corner. |
| 0:22.7 | God's story has been unfolding. |
| 0:26.2 | Since the beginning of time. |
| 0:28.9 | He invites you to be a part of it. |
| 0:34.7 | Another page in the unfolding. |
| 0:39.4 | Hey, this is Meredith Foster. |
| 0:41.9 | Suzanne and Alan Haps are parents. |
| 0:44.7 | They love Jesus. |
| 0:45.9 | They raised their kids in faith. |
| 0:47.9 | They did all the things so many of us hope will point our children toward God. |
| 0:52.6 | And then one day, their son looked at them and said, |
| 0:54.9 | I'm not sure I believe any of that anymore. And just like that, everything changed. If you've |
| 1:01.8 | ever loved someone who's walked away from faith, if you've ever laid awake at night wondering, |
| 1:06.5 | did I do something wrong? Or, God, what are you doing? |
| 1:11.3 | Or even, will they ever come back? |
| 1:14.2 | This story is for you. |
... |
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