I recall when I was a teenager, there was this very tough girl in town; a
biker-type female who wore leather, swore like a sailor, loved to instigate
fights, drink, do drugs, and generally, just scare off people with her hard as
nails exterior. Admittedly, I was afraid of her because she had harassed and
assaulted a friend of mine, and like everyone else, I had heard the stories of
how this tough girl threatened this guy, or hit that gal.
Several years later, this same young woman came in to a restaurant I was working
at. She called me over, but as she looked so different, I didn't immediately
recognize her because this person now before me looked so sweet and gentle.
The young woman told me who she was; assuring me that I didn't need to be
fearful of her anymore because she is no longer the same person. She then
apologized for any wrongs she may have committed against me or my friends, and
went on to explain she had repented of her former ways, and was now a Christian!
Within my life I have witnessed some amazing transformations, but this one in
particular I will never forget because it was miraculously dramatic. The
situation also taught me a life-long lesson, which is, to not be so quick to
judge.
I wondered to myself, "Why hadn't 'I' shared my faith with this person before?"
The mistake I made was that I wrongly assumed she could never be interested in
spiritual matters because her personality, at the time, seemed so contrary to
all that Christ stood for.
You can bet I never made that mistake again.
I should have known better; understood that with God, all things are possible!
All people carry within them a story. Sometimes that story reveals a past filled
with pain, abuse or neglect. Often times, all it takes to help an individual
rise up and overcome, is for someone to take the time to care, or to point them
in the right direction.
Yes, I have seen cold and hardened exteriors melt away through the warmth of
God's love.
Today, take hold of God's outstretched hand so that you too can be transformed
as only He and His merciful grace can do.
Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2005 Melanie Schurr)
editor@melanieschurr.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.