goodness and mercy are the sheepdogs.”
She frowned. “Sheepdogs?”
“Jesus is the shepherd, I’m the sheep, and if goodness and mercy follow me, then that makes them…”
“Sheepdogs. I get it. That’s clever.”
“What about Malachi four verse two?”
Lou shook her head. “No. Never been one for reading the Bible. Couldn’t even tell you where that book is.”
“ But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves ,” Jim read.
“Can’t leap anywhere, can I? I can’t even walk,” she sighed.
“It doesn’t just mean literally leap,” Jack explained. “God leads us from darkness into light, sickness to health, bondage to freedom, cold to warmth, stuntedness to growth, inactivity to usefulness, and joylessness to joy. Because He loves you.”
Lou shook her head. “Not me. I’m not good enough.”
“Especially you,” Jack told her. “In Matthew nine verse thirteen Jesus says, ‘ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners .” He looked across at Jim. “There’s a list in the front of my Bible. Would you read them please?”
Jim nodded. He pulled out the piece of paper and looked at it. “Fourteen of them,” he said. “Do you want me to read them all?”
“Leave the last one for now.”
Jim opened the Bible and read Jack’s list. As he read, Lou’s sobs diminished, and she listened, really listened.
When he finished, Lou looked at Jack. “But will God want me? I mean, what good am I to anyone now?”
Jack smiled. “Lou, do you know the story of the prodigal son?”
“Yeah. He ran away and spent all his father’s money.”
“When he came home, did his father yell at him or refuse to let him back in the house?”
“No.”
Jack said, “He ran to his son. He came to him, met him on the road, even though the son had hurt him badly by running away and disobeying him. Then he threw a huge party for him because the son he thought was dead was alive and had come home. He never stopped loving him. Your mom still loves you, doesn’t she, even though you ran away?”
“She says she does.”
Jack looked at her. “Your mom met you on the runway. According to General Merrick, she all but ran out there as soon as she knew your chopper was inbound. She’s living on the base, hardly left your side the first couple of days, unless the doc threw her out or I made her lie down and sleep. Now if that’s not love, then I don’t know what is.”
Lou looked at him in amazement. “Even after I was horrid to her?”
“Especially after you were horrid to her. Likewise, your Heavenly Father loves you. Why should He turn His back on you now?”
“Yeah, but I’ve done religion all my life. It doesn’t mean anything. You’re different though, Jack. Despite everything you told me earlier about your wife and son and your leg, you still believe in a loving God. You talk like it means something, like Jesus is real to you. Like you have hope. Where is this hope?”
Jack looked down at her. “To put it simply,” he began, “there is only one hope—Jesus. God loves you with an everlasting love. We’re not just flesh and blood, we have a soul. But unlike our body, the soul is eternal. God made it like that because He wants a relationship with us. Not just for the few years we are on the earth, but forever.” Lou glanced at Jim. He nodded, agreeing with what Jack was saying.
Jack continued, “Jesus loves you. He loved you enough to die on the cross to pay the price of your sins for you. There is nothing you have done nor can ever do that will stop Him from loving you or wanting a permanent relationship with you. But it has to be all or nothing. No half measures. He wants all of you, all the time. A daily two-way relationship. He’s waiting for you now.”
She frowned. “It can’t be that easy, surely?”
“Yes and no,” Jack said. “Life isn’t easy. There is no magic
She frowned. “Sheepdogs?”
“Jesus is the shepherd, I’m the sheep, and if goodness and mercy follow me, then that makes them…”
“Sheepdogs. I get it. That’s clever.”
“What about Malachi four verse two?”
Lou shook her head. “No. Never been one for reading the Bible. Couldn’t even tell you where that book is.”
“ But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves ,” Jim read.
“Can’t leap anywhere, can I? I can’t even walk,” she sighed.
“It doesn’t just mean literally leap,” Jack explained. “God leads us from darkness into light, sickness to health, bondage to freedom, cold to warmth, stuntedness to growth, inactivity to usefulness, and joylessness to joy. Because He loves you.”
Lou shook her head. “Not me. I’m not good enough.”
“Especially you,” Jack told her. “In Matthew nine verse thirteen Jesus says, ‘ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners .” He looked across at Jim. “There’s a list in the front of my Bible. Would you read them please?”
Jim nodded. He pulled out the piece of paper and looked at it. “Fourteen of them,” he said. “Do you want me to read them all?”
“Leave the last one for now.”
Jim opened the Bible and read Jack’s list. As he read, Lou’s sobs diminished, and she listened, really listened.
When he finished, Lou looked at Jack. “But will God want me? I mean, what good am I to anyone now?”
Jack smiled. “Lou, do you know the story of the prodigal son?”
“Yeah. He ran away and spent all his father’s money.”
“When he came home, did his father yell at him or refuse to let him back in the house?”
“No.”
Jack said, “He ran to his son. He came to him, met him on the road, even though the son had hurt him badly by running away and disobeying him. Then he threw a huge party for him because the son he thought was dead was alive and had come home. He never stopped loving him. Your mom still loves you, doesn’t she, even though you ran away?”
“She says she does.”
Jack looked at her. “Your mom met you on the runway. According to General Merrick, she all but ran out there as soon as she knew your chopper was inbound. She’s living on the base, hardly left your side the first couple of days, unless the doc threw her out or I made her lie down and sleep. Now if that’s not love, then I don’t know what is.”
Lou looked at him in amazement. “Even after I was horrid to her?”
“Especially after you were horrid to her. Likewise, your Heavenly Father loves you. Why should He turn His back on you now?”
“Yeah, but I’ve done religion all my life. It doesn’t mean anything. You’re different though, Jack. Despite everything you told me earlier about your wife and son and your leg, you still believe in a loving God. You talk like it means something, like Jesus is real to you. Like you have hope. Where is this hope?”
Jack looked down at her. “To put it simply,” he began, “there is only one hope—Jesus. God loves you with an everlasting love. We’re not just flesh and blood, we have a soul. But unlike our body, the soul is eternal. God made it like that because He wants a relationship with us. Not just for the few years we are on the earth, but forever.” Lou glanced at Jim. He nodded, agreeing with what Jack was saying.
Jack continued, “Jesus loves you. He loved you enough to die on the cross to pay the price of your sins for you. There is nothing you have done nor can ever do that will stop Him from loving you or wanting a permanent relationship with you. But it has to be all or nothing. No half measures. He wants all of you, all the time. A daily two-way relationship. He’s waiting for you now.”
She frowned. “It can’t be that easy, surely?”
“Yes and no,” Jack said. “Life isn’t easy. There is no magic
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