Why I Willingly Almost Got Hit By A Car…
My plans were simple…
Get home, make some food, and relax after a long day of work.
As I was driving down the road to my house, I saw someone in the middle of the road…
It was the silhouette of a child running.
The kid had to be around 8 years old.
I thought it was odd so I scanned the street and the sidewalk… no parents in sight.
He was alone.
At this point I was right in front of my house, so I pulled over.
I looked in my side view mirror still trying to process what was going on…
There was a car racing towards the kid.
I felt a spike of fear and concern…
Do they see him? Will they stop?
The car was getting closer to the child…
Time slowed down.
Before I could think any longer…
I jumped out of my car, stuck my hands out, and did everything I could to get the drivers attention.
They slammed on their brakes.
I gave a sigh of relief.
They stopped.
The drivers looked at me confused until they saw the kid.
Still filled with adrenaline, I grabbed the kid from out of the middle of the road and asked if he was okay…
He stared back at me, no answer.
“What’s your name? Where are your parents?”
No answer again.
I set him down and he immediately started running towards the street again…
This was a problem.
I looked for someone who could keep him from running in the street while I called 9–1–1.
Thankfully, my sister was home. I grabbed her and filled her in on the situation.
She kept an eye on him while I called the police.
Waiting for someone to answer, I watched as my sister stopped the kid from running into the road over and over again.
He was determined.
Someone finally answered on the other end of the phone.
I described the situation…
And after about 5min of making sure the kid stayed out of the road, the cops arrived.
The police handled the situation really well…
We tracked down the kid’s mom who was looking for him.
I can’t even begin to imagine how worried the mom must have been…
It pains me to think of the horrific thoughts that must have been running through her mind after she realized her son was missing…
Yet when she saw her son she was filled with so much joy.
She grabbed her son and hugged him.
Her son was safe in her arms…
I can imagine that nothing in that mom’s life mattered more than her son returning.
She desperately wanted to bring her son back home safe.
Looking back on that day, I realize that whole experience brought with it a new perspective.
Over and over in my life I have run away from God…
Turned my back on God…
Ignored His cry for me to come home.
Just like that mother, He was doing everything in His power to find me…
To bring me home safe.
Now I realize His pursuit for me was true unconditional love.
There’s nothing I can do that can stop God from pursuing me.
He will relentlessly pursue me because of His love for me.
No matter how far I run, He will keep seeking.
Now I have two options…
1.) I can continue running away from Him until I grow weak and collapse…
2.) Or I can choose to sprint back to Him, embracing His love, mercy, and forgiveness.
The same is true for you.
If you have run from God for your whole life or just portions of your life…
Realize you’re never too far gone.
His arms are open wide.
He desperately wants you to experience His love, joy, and mercy.
He wants you to come home.
“…I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
LUKE 15:7
Now what exactly does that mean for you?
If you have been running away from God, I invite you to run towards Him.
To run back home.
If you’re ready, here’s what you can do:
- ) Pray to God.
Let God know you desire to come home. Let Him know you accept His love and mercy. Ask Him to guide you as you run towards Him and away from sin.
2.) Get plugged into a church as soon as you can.
We were created for relationship, but realize where there are people there will also be brokenness.
Don’t let the brokenness of people get in the way of seeing the goodness of God.
Here are just a few of the amazing churches around this area that you can get plugged into: Real Life, One Place, Canvas, Lake City, and Heart of the City.
3.) Spend time reading the Bible.
The more you read, the more you’ll know God’s heart. (The book of John is a great place to start.)
4.) Build roots.
As you continue in your faith, you’ll likely find yourself with doubts and questions. Realize this is normal.
Almost every Christian I’ve ever known has dealt with doubts. This is an amazing opportunity to go deeper into your faith, find the evidence, and seek the truth. Yes that’s right, you SHOULD question your faith…
But when you start questioning, be willing to look for answers. The goal is finding truth. Here are some amazing books to understand the validity of Christianity.
Now the choice is yours…
That’s the beauty of following Jesus. He doesn’t force you to come back home, He lovingly allows you to choose.
“…For this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.”
LUKE 15:23–24
