Good News

   Last Sunday the pastor of a local church we were visiting gave the congregation an opportunity to share how God has blessed them through another person. A lady stood up and exposed her life. She had grown up in a home where she was abused, and as an adult is still struggling with a drug addiction. She thanked another lady in the congregation for pursuing her. This other lady had been calling her, visiting her, encouraging her, leaving notes on her front door, and bringing her food.

   I could barely hold back the tears as she stated "You see, I never thought that I could be around 'good' people. I didn't think I was good enough to come to church".  She felt as though she didn't dress right, look right, or act right, and therefore would never be accepted. I felt sad as I wondered at what point in time did the Gospel become so misinterpreted.

   I had always heard that the Gospel of Jesus is the "Good News" that the Bible encourages believers to share with others. The first four books of the New Testament are by definition the "proof of" the "actual events" that brought about our salvation. They tell the story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus whose purpose was (and still is) to restore the relationship between God and mankind. The church should be the first place that people run to when life gets hard, but instead they run from it. Afraid that they are too messed up. Afraid that they will be rejected...... judged......sentenced.

   Throughout her life, this lady had never heard that God loved her in spite of what her life looked like. She learned at an early age at the hands of her abusers that she was worthless, hopeless, and unlovable. She bought the lies and tried to soothe her soul with drugs and alcohol. She even made attempts to end her life....   BUT someone took the time and energy to befriend her, to value her, to walk beside her, and to show her the truth of the Good News. And guess what?

 Now she wants to pass it on.