Father's Day.
June 25, 2020
I hate pumping my own gas. Just when I am running late, that dreaded little orange light flashes across my dashboard. You have to pull into the gas station, of course when every other car in the county is there, and try to find a spot. When you finally find one, you realize you have found the slowest pump in the country. However, have you ever been to a full-service gas station? You know, the ones where an attendant comes out and pumps your gas for you? It is like a nostalgic throwback to 1950. You are greeted with a smile, a joyful face comes and pumps your gas for you, bids you well, and you are on your way. Scott Crawford, one of our local ministers at The Well, reminded us on Sunday that, with Jesus, we have a full-service grace station available to us everywhere we go. Just like at the full-service stations, Jesus meets us exactly where we are, greets us with the most joyful smile, talks with us, and fills us up with the most incredible grace known to man. Who could not use a loving embrace and smile from someone they love every day? We have this in Jesus! One of the most impactful moments of Scott’s message for me was his focus: God knows WHO you are, and He loves you exactly HOW you are; however, His grace refuses to let you stay WHERE you are. Do you mean to tell me I have a Heavenly Father who loves me despite my shortcomings? And He wants my tomorrow to look better than my today? If you have never heard this message, it can and will change your life. Scott got me thinking about how important it is that we do not just simply accept God’s grace, and go on living the same exact life we lived before meeting Jesus. What was the cross for if it does not change who we are? He died on the cross because He wants to change and transform us into the image of Him. He loves us so much that He wants us to live above the garbage offered to us in this world. We are never enough for Jesus on our own, but with His love and grace, we are made more than enough. Our weaknesses, where we fall short, become our strengths because He is strong when we are weak. No matter your relationship with your Earthly Father, you have a Heavenly Father who created you and loves you more than you will ever understand – and He wants a real, alive relationship with you. Scott’s final questions will be questions I come back to every day: “Do you know your Heavenly Father? Are you living up to your potential?”