Leaving the Ninety-Nine


One Sunday afternoon, when I was eight years old, my dad asked me to come into his bedroom.

I immediately wondered what I had done wrong and why I was in trouble.

You see, our parents’ bedroom was something of a sanctuary. We kids simply didn’t go in there. Getting called into their bedroom meant we were about to get punished for something.

On this particular day, we sat on my parents’ bed and my dad talked through things that I had heard at church (and in our home) my whole life.

He told me that everybody is a sinner. He told me that God can’t be with sin and sinners. He told me that Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins. He told me that Jesus offers us this free gift and all we have to do is accept it.

That Sunday afternoon, October 22, 1967, the Good Shepherd left the 99 sheep and came looking for the one lost sheep. On that day, I was the one lost sheep and Jesus found me and saved me.

My life since that day hasn’t been perfect. I haven’t been perfect. But God has changed my desires and my wants. My desire is to serve Him and please Him in all that I do. I no longer feel like I have to be the one to make life work well. I trust in God to work on my behalf.

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