So, I felt led to share this deeply personal story today for someone who needs to hear this.
When I was 13 and young to the world, I wasn’t wise (obviously) to the ways of boys and just wanted to have fun. Everyone was my friend. I knew no boundaries, was rebellious and was very naive. My mother struggled with alcoholism. One night, after my parents’ nasty divorce, it was her weekend to pick me up and make the two hour drive back to her mother’s house where she lived. I was prepared and hopeful to see my beloved Grandparents this particular weekend. But I got off the bus and much to my surprise, she was drunk and In no shape to drive. Two neighborhood boys no more than 15 years old persuaded her to use her car and wanted to show me “a dead coyote” on a rural dirt road. You catch my drift? There really was a dead coyote, But it wasn’t their only intention to show me that. So as the car came to stop and we spent LITERALLY 30 seconds looking at this coyote, I was ready to go back, but one boy had other plans for advancement and I was not ready for this. As the other boy got out of the car and left us alone my heart dropped to my stomach and I knew there was pretty much no escaping this scenario I had gotten myself into. SCARED. TO. DEATH. All I could think of was how I wished I wouldn’t have fallen for this. When, all of a sudden the other boy jumps in the car yelling someone was coming down the road. REALLY FAST. The boy with the intentions yelled “STEP ON IT! GO!” As we floored it immediately because this car was gaining on us. I hung on for dear life trying not to cry. As we were speeding down this dirt road (going at LEAST 60) this car kept gaining on us. The driver was scared to death barely having a permit, and this other car had to be going 90 MPH. It caught us in record time. As the car approached us it was swerving trying to run us off the road!! Finally the driver slowed down and the other car swooped around us. It was like a scene in a West Texas Horror Movie. I KNEW we were all about to get murdered, the suddenly I recognized the car as it passed us and slammed on the brakes making us stop. Out Jumped the very large man most of you know to be my dad. Who yanked me out of the car and shoved me in his car and drive us home. It was one of THE. MOST. AWKWARD. MOMENTS. EVER. (Mostly because I think he thought I knew what I was doing but I really didn’t until it was too late.) I was in ALOT of trouble. But MAN was I GLAD to see HIM! Even if he was SUPER MAD at me and grounded me. I cried but not because he caught me, it was because he saved me. (And his spankings hurt.)
The point Im trying to make to you is that’s how our Father in Heaven is Y’all! HE RELENTLESSLY PURSUES US BECASUE HE LOVES US AND CARES DEEPLY FOR US! If an earthly father can put himself in danger to pursue his daughter, how much more would our Father in Heaven pursue us? He sent His Son to die for us. And someone tonight is in this position of needing to be ransomed by the Father. If I didn’t feel this way I DEFINTITELY wouldn’t have shared all this. All you have to do is ask Him and He’s there. Love yall. (And no, nothing happened other than I got wise to boys, and thoroughly embarrassed! don’t judge me!)
Kids + Canvas By: Dani Russell 