Reporter: DANNY WALLACE
GREW UP WANTING HIS FATHER'S
LOVE AND ATTENTION.
AT THE AGE OF FIVE, HE GOT
THE ATTENTION WHEN HE FATHER
RAPED HIM IN HIS WOODSHOP.
HE HAD FINISHED WITH ME
SEXUALLY, AND THEN GOT DOWN
FACE TO FACE WITH ME, WHERE
I COULD, FOR ONCE IN MY
LIFE, SMELL THAT ALCOHOLIC
BREATH.
AS HE EYEBALL TO EYEBALL
TOLD ME, IF YOU EVER SPEAK
OF THIS, I'LL TAKE YOUR
LIFE.
I'LL BURY YOU SOMEWHERE ON
THIS PROPERTY, AND THEY
WON'T FIND YOU FOR YEARS.
Reporter: PHYSICAL AND
SEXUAL ABUSE CONTINUED THE
NEXT FEW YEARS, DRIVING
DANNY DEEP INTO PERSONAL AND
SEXUAL CONFUSION.
IT DESTROYED MY VISION OF
WHO I WAS INSTANTLY.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS.
I WOULD BE WHATEVER IT TOOK
TO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH
WHAT MY FATHER'S ACTIONS HAD
SAID TO ME THAT I WAS, AND
THAT WAS NOTHING, THAT I WAS
NOTHING.
Reporter: FOR YEARS,
DANNY TRIED TO EARN HIS
FATHER'S LOVE, BUT WHEN HE
WAS 10, HIS FATHER LURED HIM
INTO AN OLD BARN WHERE A
GROUP OF MEN PAID HIS FATHER
FOR SEX WITH DANNY.
FROM FIVE UNTIL 10, YOU
KNOW, I WENT TO BED EVERY
NIGHT THINKING, IF I CAN GET
IT RIGHT, MY DAD WILL LOVE
ME.
BUT ONE OF THOSE MEN IN THAT
CIRCLE THAT AFTERNOON SAID
TO MY DAD, WHAT ARE WE GOING
TO DO WITH HIM IF WE KILL
HIM?
AND MY DAD SAID, WE'RE GOING
TO GET RID OF HIM.
I REMEMBER IT AS CLEAR AS IF
IT WERE YESTERDAY.
I STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF
THAT BARN, AND I SAID TO
MYSELF, THAT OLD MAN IS
NEVER GOING TO LOVE ME.
THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO.
THERE IS NOTHING I CAN SAY.
HE WILL NEVER LOVE ME.
Reporter: WHEN HE WAS
11, DANNY WENT TO A CHURCH
SERVICE WITH HIS AUNT AND
UNCLE.
HE HEARD A MESSAGE ABOUT A
FATHER IN HEAVEN THAT LOVES
HIM.
AND I REMEMBER THAT MAN
KNEELING BESIDE ME AND
PUTTING HIS ARMS AROUND ME
AND HE SAID, WOULD YOU LIKE
TO KNOW THIS FATHER.
AND I REMEMBER THINKING, IF
THERE IS SUCH A FATHER, IF
THERE IS A FATHER WHO LOVES
ME, WHO CAN SEE WHAT I AM,
AND JE YET HE WILL ACCEPT
ME AND LOVE ME, THEN, OH,
YEAH, I WANT TO KNOW HIM.
IN THAT LITTLE COUNTRY
ALTER, I REMEMBER THE VOICE
OF GOD WHISPERING TO ME,
DANNY, YOU HAVE FOUND THE
FATHER WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE
YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.
THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, LOWEST
VALLEY, I WILL BE THERE.
Reporter: DANNY GAVE
HIS LIFE TO GOD.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A
LONG TIME FELT LOVE AND
HOPE.
STILL, SEXUAL ABUSE
CONTINUED UNTIL HE WAS 17.
WHEN HE MARRIED HIS
GIRLFRIEND LYNN, HE TOOK HIS
SECRETS WITH HIM, INCLUDING
HOMOSEXUAL TENDENCIES.
I KNEW I LOVED HER WITH
ALL OF MY HEART, BUT I ALSO
KNEW I CAN NEVER LET HER SEE
ME WITHOUT MY DANNY WALLACE
MASK ON.
SHE CANNOT KNOW WHO I AM.
SHE CAN'T KNOW WHAT I'VE
BEEN THROUGH.
IF YOU SEE HOW BROKEN I AM.
IF YOU SEE THAT MY FATHER
HATES ME, YOU WON'T LOVE ME,
EITHER.
AND SO I HAD THIS SECRET.
THAT SECRET JUST CARRIED ON
ALL THE WAY THROUGH MY TEEN
YEARS.
AND EVEN INTO MY YOUNG
ADULTHOOD.
Reporter: FOR YEARS,
DANNY LIVED A DOUBLE LIFE.
HE WAS A DEVOTED HUSBAND AND
FATHER AND ACTIVE IN HIS
CHURCH, BUT SECRETLY HE HAD
SEVERAL HOMOSEXUAL
RELATIONSHIPS.
HIS PASTOR KNEW SOMETHING
WAS NOT RIGHT AND LOVINGLY
CONFRONTED DANNY.
HE DISCERNED BY ISSUE.
HE CAME TO MY HOME AND
PRETTY MUCH SAT ME DOWN, AND
WITH ALL OF THE LOVE THAT A
FATHER WOULD SAY TO YOU, HE
SAID, THIS IS WHAT I SEE AND
THIS IS WHAT I THINK IS
HAPPENING.
WE WANT TO PAY FOR
COUNSELLING.
WE WANT TO GET YOU ALL OF
THE HELP THAT YOU NEED.
WE DON'T CARE HOW LONG IT
TAKES.
WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE YOU.
AND I REMEMBER THAT PASTOR
LOOKING ME IN THE EYE, AND
HE SAID, I WILL NOT LET YOU
GO.
I JUST WILL NOT LET YOU GO.
WHATEVER IT TAKES, WHATEVER
YOU CHOOSE, YOU JUST KNOW
THAT I LOVE YOU AND THAT
WE'RE HERE FOR YOU.
AND I MADE THE DECISION THAT
DAY THAT IF THERE IS FREEDOM
TO BE FOUND FROM THIS DRUM
HOLE, I WANT IT.
I WANT TO BE FREE.
I JUST KNEW THAT I LOVED
HIM AND I KNEW I WANTED HIM
FREE OF WHATEVER THAT WAS
TEARING HIM APART.
BECAUSE HE LOVED US.
AND I KNEW HE LOVED ME.
Reporter: WITH THE
SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY, HE
WORKED WITH A CHRISTIAN
COUNSELLOR AT UNCOVERING THE
ROOT OF HIS ISSUES.
WHEN A STRONGHOLD HAS
COME INTO YOUR LIFE, THERE
IS A DOOR, AND A SPECIFIC
DOOR, THAT IS OPEN.
I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU
CAN IDENTIFY THAT DOOR, THE
DOOR THAT LED YOU INTO THAT
STRONGHOLD, IT WILL BE THE
DOOR THAT LEADS YOU BACK
OUT.
AND HE TOOK ME TO THAT PLACE
OF FREEDOM, ACTUAL
TRANSPARENCY.
FREEDOM COMES FROM STEPPING
TO A PLACE WHERE THE EN
ENEMY CAN NO LONGER FOLLOW
YOU.
THE ENEMY IS DARKNESS.
WHAT HE REALLY HOPES WILL
NOT HAPPEN IS THAT YOU WILL
FIND THE COURAGE TO STEP
FROM THE SHADOWS INTO THE
LIGHT OF THE TRUTH OF JESUS
CHRIST.
BECAUSE IF YOU STEP THERE,
YOU WILL NOW WALK TO A PLACE
WHERE I CAN NO LONGER FOLLOW
YOU.
Reporter: ONE OF THE
FINAL STEPS HE TOOK TOWARDS
FREEDOM WAS TO FORGIVE HIS
DAD BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY.
I SAID, I WILL NOT DRAG
THIS BALL AND CHAIN ANY
FARTHER.
I WILL NOT GO TO BED HATING
YOU ANYMORE.
I WILL NOT GET UP WITH THE
MEMORIES OF THE PAST
DEFINING MY DAY.
I'M GOING TO LAY THIS DOWN
HERE.
WHAT FORGIVENESS HAD DONE
FOR ME WAS LIFT ME OUT OF
THE PAIN OF THOSE OLD WATERS
AND PLACED ME ON A DRY
BRIDGE OF LOVE AND
FORGIVENESS FOR MY DAD.
Reporter: TODAY DANNY
IS EAGER TO SHARE HIS STORY
ABOUT GOD'S LOVE AND
FORGIVENESS.
HE WANTS OTHERS TO FIND THE
SAME FREEDOM HE HAS
EXPERIENCED WITH HIS
HEAVENLY FATHER.
HOW DESPERATELY WOULD YOU
LIKE TO BE FREE?
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE
FREE, FREEDOM CAN ONLY COME
FROM STEPPING INTO ABSOLUTE
TRANSPARENCY WITH JESUS
CHRIST.
BUT MY LORD, MY FATHER, THE
ONE WHO SPOKE TO ME AT 11
YEARS OLD AND SAID I WILL
NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE
YOU, HE IS CAREFUL TO TELL
US, IN THE DEPTH OF OUR
DISPAIR, I'LL TAKE YOU AS
YOU ARE.
I DIDN'T COME TO CONDEMN YOU.
I CAME TO SET YOU FREE.
