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He
took the brand new $20 bill and asked everyone who wanted it. Many shot
up their hands in eagerness. Then he he took $20 and crumbled it all up
in his hands and asked again who wanted it. They all shot up their hands
again. Then he took the money, crumbled it up again and proceeded to stamp
on it with his foot a few times. The money looked as flat as a dime. One
child said in a withering voice, "Oh no!" He asked the audience again who
wanted it and all the hands shot up. The pastor then looked at my friend,
Bill, and said to the audience, "Our God loves everyone including Bill.
Our lives may be messed up with no direction to follow. You see, all of
you wanted to have that twenty dollar bill regardless of the condition.
I could have smeared mud on it but you still wanted it. That's the same
with God. He still values us as His creation even though we may make wrong
choices in life. God can still use wrinkled, torn, muddy people for his
service."
After
the pastor finished talking, Bill started to speak. The audience was hushed
as he explained in a faltering voice that he had really messed up his life.
He had left his wife and 3 beautiful girls. He had left the church and finally
divorced his wife. She was devastated. He said that it was easy for someone
to preach at him but what really spoke to him was the pastor who asked him
to come into his office one day. Bill felt like a little school boy who
had done something wrong. The pastor told Bill, "God loves you and so do
I." Bill asked, "Is that all you want to tell me?" "Yes," was the pastor's
reply. There were some more tears from Bill but he asked everyone to forgive
him and support him in his renewed walk with Christ. Bill was wrinkled,
bruised, torn and humiliated but he was still usable. |
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You
may also feel like Bill, but God will give you forgiveness forgiveness
for all the wrongs you have made to yourself and others. In the Bible,
Matthew 11:28-30 says it best, "Come to me, all who labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from
me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
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