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Several years ago Jackie was traveling with her two young children to visit her parents who lived an hour's drive away. As they arrived in the city during rush hour, which made her nervous, Jackie heard a strange noise coming from her car. The car started bumping. She pulled off to the side of the road and confirmed that she had a flat tire. She remembers taking a deep breath and thinking to herself, "It's only a flat tire. You can change a tire." She retrieved the jack out of the truck and began struggling with the spare tire.
She looked up in time to see a car stopping. She was apprehensive. The driver asked if he could help. Jackie says part of her wanted to say, "No thank you," while another part knew she could use the help. In five minutes the stranger had the tire changed. When Jackie offered to pay the man he refused telling her, "I serve a Savior who allowed me this opportunity to serve you. I do not need the pay."
As Jackie continued her trip to visit her parents she reflected on the experience. God used that young man's words to speak to her. She had been slipping away from the Lord. "In that moment," Jackie explains, "I realized God had not walked away from me and was calling me to greater faith and commitment."
She said a prayer of thanksgiving for the young man who stopped to help her as well as the love he had for God.
The prophet Hosea wanted the people to see the error of their ways and return to God. "The more I called them," God spoke through Hosea, "the more they went from me." God continued to love the people and desired for them to whole-heartily return. The same is true for us. God never stops loving us but continues to love us even when we stray. The heart of God is filled with love for all people.
She looked up in time to see a car stopping. She was apprehensive. The driver asked if he could help. Jackie says part of her wanted to say, "No thank you," while another part knew she could use the help. In five minutes the stranger had the tire changed. When Jackie offered to pay the man he refused telling her, "I serve a Savior who allowed me this opportunity to serve you. I do not need the pay."
As Jackie continued her trip to visit her parents she reflected on the experience. God used that young man's words to speak to her. She had been slipping away from the Lord. "In that moment," Jackie explains, "I realized God had not walked away from me and was calling me to greater faith and commitment."
She said a prayer of thanksgiving for the young man who stopped to help her as well as the love he had for God.
The prophet Hosea wanted the people to see the error of their ways and return to God. "The more I called them," God spoke through Hosea, "the more they went from me." God continued to love the people and desired for them to whole-heartily return. The same is true for us. God never stops loving us but continues to love us even when we stray. The heart of God is filled with love for all people.
