The Connection Corner

God’s Road to Redemption

“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

Stay Sharp, Embrace Growth

Bri Dunn, Daily Devotional

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17

The knife glided cleanly through the onion. Slice. Chop. Repeat. At least something in this house was working the way it should.

I, on the other hand, felt anything but sharp.

Lately, my mind felt sluggish and foggy. Simple conversations took more effort. Work felt harder. Even at church, where I usually felt confident, I found myself struggling. I did not feel as clever or creative as I normally am. I knew it was just part of this postpartum season, but it was frustrating all the same.

My husband Chris walked in the kitchen and asked how I was feeling. So I began to share.

Though I was not speaking well about myself or my current situation, he did not dismiss my feelings. In fact, instead he leaned across the counter and reminded me of what the Word of God says. He continued by making sure I knew how important I am to him and to the Lord.

“Look, I know how you are feeling,” he said gently. “But, Bri, your faith and your words have to match! You are still working to where you want to be.”

Something about his words cut straight through the noise in my head. It was a simple statement loaded with so much truth. I wanted to argue, to explain why I felt justified in my discouragement. But deep down, I knew he was right.

Later, as I picked up the knife again, I thought about what it takes to keep a blade like this sharp. It does not happen by accident. It has to be sharpened, honed, and pressed against something that refines it.

I closed my eyes for a moment. “Thank You, Lord, for a husband who sharpens me every time instead of letting me stay stuck.”

Being sharpened is not always comfortable. It takes truth, challenge, and people willing to say the hard things in love. It is easy to resist sharpening because it requires friction. But dullness is not what we were made for. The people who love us enough to challenge us—those are the ones who help us become who God intends us to be.

Do not push them away. Embrace it, and let God give you the edge to be exactly who He has called you to be.

February 25, 2025/by Bri Dunn