After a hike
up the
turkey path, in Leonard Harrison State Park, Pennsylvania, I was approached by a
woman on a motorbike. She was clothed like so many of the bikers in the region,
in jeans and a leather jacket. As she took her helmet off her head, I noticed
tattoos all over her arms.
She seemed eager to talk, and she told us she had
visited Watkins Glenn, NY that same morning. She was now at Pennsylvania's Grand
Canyon, and by evening she hoped to explore Route 666. She had a goal, and was
determined to achieve it.
She said that the night before she had been unable to
find lodging, so she had spent the night in a cemetery. You and I might think
this is creepy, but at least she was in the company of those who do not snore at
night. She said it didn't bother her, she slept well, and that's all that was
important to her.
I was surprised when I heard that although there was a
bikers' convention going on in the region, she indicated that the bikers ignored
her. She was not part of their "group", and was thus not welcome. I could see
she felt lonely. Perhaps this is why she sought our company! When she left for
her next destination, she waved at us with a big smile.
It's amazing how people open up when they feel
accepted. There is a hunger in each one of us to find acceptance. Rejection
makes us vulnerable. Acceptance makes us bloom, it makes us feel good about
ourselves.
I find it strange that the One who unconditionally
accepts us is the One most people try to avoid. Would we be able to boldly say:
"Whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (John 6:37 NIV)?
We all have people in our lives who we try to avoid at
all cost. There's Aunt Augusta, for example, who constantly spits in your face
when talking, or Uncle John who bickers about everything. There is also your
school friend Henrietta who talks like a locomotive speeding through the
prairies. And the list goes on. We always tend to reject others if they don't
quit fit our mold.
But not Jesus! He accepts anyone unconditionally. This
is what God calls grace. His love for us goes way beyond accepting us with open
arms. You see, we may at times accept people in our lives that may be annoying,
but how willing would we be to take the punishment of the crimes that they
committed?
Yet this is what Jesus did! And He did it without
hesitation! That's grace, real grace!
"Through him and for his name's sake, we received
grace…" (Rom 1:5 NIV)
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not
only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2 NIV)
If we are feeling rejected by those around us, and
discouragement roams the hallways of our minds, may we remember that there is
One who will accept us unconditionally.
"Whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (John
6:37 NIV)
"By the way, do you know of a good cemetery where I
could sleep?"
How will we respond?
"I have another tent with me. Why don't you join us at
our campground?"
Rob Chaffart
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
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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.