When I was 16, I worked on a farm in rural southwest Virginia.

One evening, as twilight deepened, I hopped into my old station wagon to drive home.

I cranked it up, put it in reverse, and gave it some gas.

It didn’t move.

I gave it some more gas.

The front end bobbed up and down once.

I had a flat tire.

That wouldn’t have been so bad except for what I knew.

I knew the spare was flat.

I walked around the car to go make a call from the farmhouse.

There was a flat on that side of the car too.

Ugh!

I called my parents for a ride.

They said they’d come get me, but I had to get two tires ready to load and then meet them down at the road since they didn’t know which driveway to turn into.

With the last of the light, I got the flat spare and one of the other tires off the car and headed down the long driveway.

This was in the mountains, through the woods, around curves.

And it was completely dark by then.

No moon.

Clouds blocking out the stars.

I had no flashlight. I couldn’t ask my bosses for one since they were out of town.

Before you say anything, this was before cell phones so no flashlight app.

Past the house yard with its feeble porch light, the darkness was complete.

What little light the stars shined on the clouds was blocked by thick tree branches.

I was confident but cautious.

I listened for the stream below the driveway on my right and the echo of my feet on the gravel on the left to try to stay in the middle of the driveway.

That was fine until I started hearing sounds.

A rustle in the branches I could handle.

Something walking along the ground on the hillside to my left – I could not.

I got my little pocketknife out and clutched it like it stood any chance of protecting me.

Imaginary bears and mountain lions filled my mind’s eye.

I quickened my pace until I almost stepped off the edge of the road.

Every hidden sound magnified in my head.

After much zigzagging down the driveway, I finally reached the road.

I looked up for a gap in the trees.

It wasn’t until I reached the center of the narrow dirt road that a patch of dark grey clouds peaked through.

I clung to that sight.

For what seemed like two hours (but was probably ten minutes),

I became an upward staring statue in the middle of the road trying to will the stars to appear.

My parents appeared before any stars did.

They rescued me and my deflated tires.

That was one of the scariest moments of my life.

 

Not much scares me anymore.

 

The witches and goblins that filled my nightmares as a kid, no longer hold any power over me.

Even the bills and sicknesses of adult life don’t frighten me anymore.

That’s all because of someone I’ve gotten to know.

 

Jesus.

 

Some people think that Jesus and His followers spend all their time judging people for every wrong thing they’ve done.

The truth is that everyone has done bad things.

God doesn’t make any distinction between different kinds of bad things. The penalty for talking bad about others is the same as, well, the really bad things (keeping it clean for the younger readers).

The fact that everyone does bad things made God sad for the people He created.

 

So, He put a plan in place.

 

He sent Jesus, His own Son, to Earth to take the punishment for everyone.

That’s why Jesus died on the cross.

It didn’t end there. He rose from the dead to tell people about the forgiveness He made possible.

He told people to tell others.

That’s great news.

It’s news that leads to freedom from guilt and shame.

It leads to a greater life here on Earth.

And it leads to eternal life with God in heaven.

If it weren’t true, it would have died out long ago. Instead, the message has been going out for over 2000 years now.

The message is still the same.

Everyone messes up.

Jesus paid the penalty for all the bad we’ve done.

 

All we have to do is accept that forgiveness by trusting Jesus.

 

I know that sounds simple. I could go on and on about the logical evidence for the existence of God and all sorts of things the Bible talks about.

But the core of the matter is, we mess up, God made a way for forgiveness through Jesus, we need only trust Jesus to accept that forgiveness.

If that sounds good to you, I suggest you talk to God about it with a prayer something like this:

 

God, I know I’ve messed up. I’ve done so many bad things that I don’t deserve forgiveness. But I heard that you offer forgiveness through Jesus and what He did on the cross. From this moment on, I declare that I trust you and accept that forgiveness. I want to live a better life. I know I won’t be perfect, but I ask you to show me how to live the best life I can, and I will do my best to trust you. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me new life. Amen.

 

If you prayed that prayer, please let me know. Better yet, let a local pastor know. Become a part of a local faith community (church) that believes in Jesus and in the Bible.

 

If you have questions, feel free to Contact Me.

 

You can also find more information at PeaceWithGod.net.