The Connection Corner

Love That Can’t Be Ignored

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:14

If you drove past our house when I was growing up, you might have seen a garden hose hanging from the highest limb of the big oak tree out front.

That wasn’t an accident. That was Granddad.

Every time he came to town for a doctor’s visit, he would stop by our house, usually without any warning. He made it a point to leave behind a sign of his visit.

After waiting around a bit, He would wander to the side of the house, grab the water hose, and send it soaring into the leaves. And I would come home from school, pull up the driveway, and there it was swaying in the wind.

My mom would burst into laughter. Dad would shake his head, muttering as he wrestled it down. And me? I never understood why.

But now I think I get it. It was his way of saying, I was here. I care about you.

It was odd, yes. Unconventional, absolutely. But that’s the thing about real love—you can’t ignore it.

And isn’t that exactly what Jesus calls us to do? To leave behind proof of love.

He didn’t come in the conventional way either. With him, He healed, He forgave, and He gave dignity to those others ignored. He did not leave people wondering if He had been there. His love left a mark.

So today, when you have the chance, don’t hold back. Leave love behind. Send the message. Give the encouragement. Show up for someone in a way they won’t forget.

Because sometimes, love looks like words. And sometimes, it looks like a hose hanging in a tree.

February 28, 2025/by David Hall

God’s Road to Redemption

Daily Devotional

“Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Luke 15:7

It started with a road trip—one my dad took very seriously. He and Mom were helping me move into college, and once that car hit the highway, there was no stopping him. The man had a mission, and absolutely nothing was getting in the way.

Or so he thought.

We stopped for gas in a little Arkansas town called Hoxie. Mom slipped inside while Dad filled the tank, stretched his legs, and glanced at the passenger seat. A bundle of blankets sat where Mom had been, and in his focused little world, that was good enough.

So off he went.

Eight and a half hours later, he made another fuel stop, turned to speak to Mom, and came face-to-face with… no one.

The realization hit like a brick to the face.

By the time he screeched back into that gas station, Mom was pacing the parking lot like a firecracker with a short fuse. Her arms were crossed tight, her lips pressed thin.

When she saw him, she leveled him with a stare so sharp it could have cut glass.

“You need your head examined.”

Now, I can’t help but laugh every time I tell that story. My dad had never been more grateful to still be alive. But isn’t that just like life?

How many times have we made a mistake that took us further than we ever intended to go? Maybe not eight and a half hours out of the way, but far enough to wonder if we could ever make it right.

But here is the truth, dear one. God never leaves us stranded.

You are never too far gone for God to come back for you. The same God who turns pain into joy, regret into wisdom, and mistakes into redemption is holding out His hand.

Whatever wrong turn you have taken, trust me—He knows exactly how to bring you home.

February 27, 2025/by David Hall

God Sees Your Tears

Daily Devotional, Lisa Williams

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Psalms 103:2-5

I did not expect waiting to feel like this.

From the time I was very young, I dreamed of being a mom. I would name my dolls and dream of the day I would hold a baby of my own. When I married at eighteen, my husband and I shared that dream—but we decided to wait a couple of years before starting our family.

But life doesn’t always follow the plans we make, does it?

At twenty, I lost my first pregnancy. The pain was unbearable, but I reassured myself, Next time will be different. Except it wasn’t. Year after year, I didn’t get pregnant again. Instead of searching for answers, I buried my grief in busyness, trying to outrun the pain.

But the ache only grew.

I whispered prayers like “God, I trust You,” while my soul screamed in doubt. I begged Him to move. When He didn’t, I pleaded for Him to at least take away the longing. But He didn’t. Instead, He let me carry it.

And that was the hardest part.

I wrestled with that silence. If He was good, why was He withholding this good thing? If He loved me, why did He feel so distant? I did not have answers, only the daily decision to trust Him even when I could not understand Him.

Then, one day…Wow God!

My son JD was born in 2007, and Jesse followed in 2008. The moment I held them, the years of waiting suddenly made sense. Because I was different. The waiting had shaped me, deepened me, changed me. I wasn’t just a mother—I was a mother who had learned to trust in the silence.

I call my boys tender mercy and loving kindness because that’s what they are. God heard me, and He healed me through their love.

In the same way, if today you are struggling with an aching heart and the sting of silence, please know this: God sees every tear, hears every prayer, and is not indifferent to your pain. Hold on, because your story is still unfolding. God still has so much in store for you.

February 26, 2025/by Lisa Williams