On The Right Track

The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall it isn't fatal, for the Lord hold them with his hand. Psalms 37:23-24 The Living Bible

Good Morning Girlfriends:

As I was talking to a friend the other day, I was sharing that as winter approaches and during winter, I pray for the deer and I ask that God would protect them and keep them safe throughout our hard and cold winters. As I was reflecting on this comment, a thought had struck me so hard when my mind immediately thought about the homeless people out there in the world, how do they ever survive. I was awestruck to think about how they keep warm, when I know around here, the heat pumps do not throw off much heat when the temperatures drop to such extreme cold, how do the survive, Oh my heart as I kept thinking about it. Then I had shared that my granddaughters had spent time helping out in a soup kitchen with their youth group, they wanted to talk to these people who had came through the door, to see what their story was. The youth were very concerned and interested how these people came to where they were in life.

Then as I was reading a story this morning, a true one where a person had just came out of the pharmacy as they greeted a man going in, they had asked the man "how's it going," the answer was not one that they had been expecting, as the man shared that he was going to pick up his prescription of "Suboxone" as he looked down. He shared that he was trying to get his life turned around after making many bad decisions. As he went to the pharmacist to pick up the prescription, he explained what it was for, people that was standing in line heard him telling his story of making bad decisions but he wanted to get his life cleaned up, but some of the people looked at him as if he was a leper or something, as they whispered and looked at him with disgust. Trying to explain himself, he said to the pharmacist that he really wasn't a bad person, that he had just made some bad mistakes. It was heard as he dropped his head to look at his feet that "My Momma loves me."

As the person that he had talked to at the front of the store, had watched and heard everything that was said, and at that moment this person was not looking at an addict but a child who was hurt, scared and all alone, a child who was reaching out for help to pick them up and make everything better. When the young man found out what the cost would be for the prescription, he realized that it was more than what he had in his pocket, but the person he had talked to in the beginning stepped up to pay the remaining cost. The young man had no words to say as he stood there speechless, as the person said to him, just take care of yourself.

Girlfriends, I'm sure that each and every one of us live in a neighborhood full of drug addicts, people with alcohol problems, gambling problems, pornography addictions whatever the case may be, and it all started by making one bad decision that led them to a bigger problem. We have to remember that none of us are "squeaky clean" or have never made wrong choices that led us down a dark path to wherever or whatever. I remember hearing a very well minister now say, that he didn't know one cigarette would lead him to be a drug addict or one drink would lead him to be an alcoholic, but when he called out to Jesus as he laid on his bathroom floor dying from cutting his wrists, that is when he met Jesus for the first time.

We have to remember that prostitute on the street, is some "Mama's" daughter who loves her very much, that drug addicted man or woman also has family who love them very much, the young teenage girl who gets pregnant has family who loves her as well. We have to remember as we see these people that they are hurting people inside and they are crying out for help. Do you really think they are happy with inside of themselves of who they are, most likely not. The true followers of Jesus will not look down at them or say cruel words, but we will love them, and if there is an opportune time to be able to talk to them, we may learn their story of how they got to be where they are, and we can tell our story of who we met along our journey to share with them how we were able to get turned around, and the same hope is for them as well.

God's word says in Matthew 7:1-3 that we are not to judge, for we will be judged by what measure we judge. Like I said before, none of our pasts are "Lily White," God's word tell us to love one another (John 13:34) and to build one another up, (1 Thess. 5:11) not kick them when they are down. Girlfriends, let's never forget what Jesus has done for us and where He has brought us from, as opportunities arise, we can tell our stories to others, Amen.

Let's Pray,

Father God, I thank You and I praise Your greatness of who You are. Lord, I thank You for turning my life around that day as I stood in my living room surrendering my life over to You, that was when an amazing turn around took place. I lift up each and every dear soul to You today who has never said I surrender all to You Lord, I pray that this would be their turn around day as the power of the Holy Spirit would encompass around them wherever they are, and that just one touch from Your hand will all they will ever need. Lord, I lift up that one to You that has fallen and needs that word of encouragement that you are still loved, God would have you to know that there is nothing that would take away His love from you, so pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and get back on track with the one who has never left you. God loves each and every one, and there is power in His love in the mighty name of Jesus I thank You Lord for Your love, Amen.

Be blessed and pass the blessing on. Please share this message in hopes that it will bless them as well.