The following was a letter I sent to a young lady who made a serious mistake several years ago. Just in case any readers ever make mistakes, perhaps you could consider this a letter to you, too. Let’s call this young lady Julie.
“Dear ‘Julie,’
‘I know the last couple of months have not been kind to you. I know you face a lot of fears. Will I be healthy? Will the child be healthy? Will I be able to manage as a mom, perhaps by myself? Will this little one be able to grow strong in Christ?
One fear you need not have is that your heavenly father is mad at you.
You’re a wonderful young woman who has a lot going for her. Charm, love, spirit, a sense of humor and intelligence. You have a great future, as a person, as a Christian and as a mom.
You know the story. It’s one of the first you ever heard in Sunday school. In Genesis 3:8, after Adam and Eve sinned, we read something quite remarkable:
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves” (Genesis 3:8, ESV).
What’s the first thing God did after they made a mistake? Did you see it? We always see the other thing — man hiding from God, the fear, the guilt. But what else did you see there?
Here it is, young lady, because I want you to know this for certain. The first thing God did when Adam and Eve made a mistake was to go looking for them.
He did that because God always looks for us. He still does.
Remember the shepherd who had ninety-nine sheep, yet went looking for the lost one? Remember the woman who had nine coins, but spring-cleaned the house to find the lost one? Remember the father who already had a son, but looked far down the road to see if his other son was coming back (Luke 15)?
God does not only love sons, he loves daughters, too.
You must know that God’s love does not diminish when we face hard times and make mistakes. God goes looking for us. What does he do when he finds us? He offers us his help. His powerful, compassionate, wise help.
If you ever need to talk, don’t hesitate to do so. You can grow from this. That’s what God wants! Just let him help you.”
Note: Julie acknowledged her mistake before her church family. She had to quit college and take care of her child. It’s been six years now, but she has found a good Christian husband who loves her as her heavenly father has always loved her.
Redemption, preceded by repentance, followed by recovery! That’s the way God does things!
Do you know anyone like Julie?