Country singer Jeff Bates tells...
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Country singer Jeff Bates tells in a Reader's Digest article how his adoptive mother's love rescued him from a self--destructive life of drugs. When he was three months old, his birth mother gave him away. He was taken in by Barbara and Ed Bates of Columbia, Mississippi, but felt unloved and unimportant when he later learned that he was adopted. Starting to play the guitar when he was eleven years old, he finally managed to get a song--writing deal when he reached his mid--thirties. One day, a friend offered him a hit of methamphetamine, and he immediately became an addict. During the next year and a half, he developed a two--hundred--dollar--a--day habit. Then, on March 15, 2001, he woke up jail in Nashville, 37 years old, and facing a sentence of 15 years in prison for felony theft. He had been stealing and selling his friends' musical instruments to support his addiction.
He finally got up the courage to call his mother, Barbara, and told her where he was and what he had done. She replied, "Son, don't you know you can't do anything to make me not love you?" That statement turned his life around. After a short jail term of 94 days (due to the mercy of the judge), he began making amends, returning items and making restitution. With a friend's encouragement he was able to sign a new contract with RCA Records and is back in the limelight.
In Hosea, God reminds his people Israel of his love for them. Even though they had forsaken him, he would never forsake them. They would always be his people. He would always be their God.
He finally got up the courage to call his mother, Barbara, and told her where he was and what he had done. She replied, "Son, don't you know you can't do anything to make me not love you?" That statement turned his life around. After a short jail term of 94 days (due to the mercy of the judge), he began making amends, returning items and making restitution. With a friend's encouragement he was able to sign a new contract with RCA Records and is back in the limelight.
In Hosea, God reminds his people Israel of his love for them. Even though they had forsaken him, he would never forsake them. They would always be his people. He would always be their God.
