WIM - Subcriber Articles

"John 3:16 Gospel Tract" 3 Cents

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 - 10:48 AM CST

By Judy Rachels

We recipients of mercy know the life change it offers. We givers of mercy discover the cost.

Mary McAlee, recent convert, clean for nearly a year, wife of a continuing user, mother of five, started over when mercy came to her. Weekly, she brought her five wiggly, scraggly urchins to the front row of our sanctuary every time there was a service. Sunday School teachers shivered at the thought of having 9-year-old Daniel assigned to their class. Sally threatened to quit teaching if he came to her class. Then he went to Edith's class. She made him her associate, sat close to him, listened, made eye contact, touched, and spoke softly.

Then greeters in the lobby sent word that Daniel was sneaking crumpled tracts into the tract rack. "These life-offering brochures are for those serious about making Jesus followers." They were not for the likes of Daniel.

Finally someone reported Daniel's misdemeanor with the tracts to his mother, Mary. She answered by saying, "I know about what Daniel is doing. He brings home 5 or 6 tracts every week. Each dinner time he places one by his dad's plate. Sometimes his dad ignores them, and other times he wads them up in fury."

Daniel thinks that the tracts cost money, and he doesn't want to steal them. So he brings them back crumpled and wrinkled every week, and then he gets his new supply.

Loving mercy costs patience, endurance, forgiveness and time ... and 3 cents a copy.

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Judy Rachels is a credentialed Assemblies of God minister. She is married to Ray Rachels, recently retired superintendent of the Southern California District Assemblies of God.