Rachel wasn't even 25 but she had been in jail and through rehab more times than she cared to admit.Her father had cashed in his retirement, lost his savings and re-mortgaged his home to get Rachel clean. Time after time, with hope in his heart, he watched as she left the security he provided and went back to the streets. One day his heart was breaking as he looked out the window of his office, he wondered how his daughter was faring down on the streets below. That was the day he made the decision to take a leave from his job. His plan was to walk the city until he found his daughter.He would never force Rachel to stay with him,but he would just gowhere he might see her and offer her lunch. Then if she needed anything, he would take her shopping.If she needed a dentist he would get her teeth fixed.Nothing would be too much to make his daughter safe.The beauty is that his plan actually worked.

It wasn't long before he found Rachel, hungry and cold, so she willingly accepted his kind offer to buy her a new coat. Day after day, he bought her lunch. Over these lunches, they had conversations they never would have had if he had stayed at his job on the 57th floor while Rachel was combing the streets. One day, he offered Rachel his keys. He promised if she would come home that he would pay once again for her rehab. He figured he could cash in his retirement. Throughout their recent contact, Rachel had begun to realize how much her dad loved her. Before, when she had gone to rehab, it had been just to get her driver's license back. This time she felt loved and worthy of a better life.  Rachel agreed to the idea, but she still had one problem.

She owed someone money. If she left today, he would probably try to kill her. She knew he'd killed others and she was scared.The father knew there was nothing that he wouldn't do for his little girl, so he handed her the keys, "If I'm not back in an hour, call the cops." Then he went to bargain for His daughter. As Rachel waited in the car, she began to fear the worst.  Finally, she saw that familiar form walking toward her. It caused her heart to soar. Oh how her father's smile warmed her heart. No one but her dad could do that for her! Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a black car struck him down...

In my teens, I thought I was invincible. It is with age that I have learned of my shortcomings, and with more age that I learn of my feebleness. Daily, I am reminded of my shortcomings – my humanity. I have days that end in weariness. There are days when I feel pulled in every direction by those around me. There are seasons when problems overwhelm me. Daily, the pendulum of my thought life swings from eternal to present realities. I bring the weaknesses of my present reality to the promises of my eternal reality.

I "transport" myself between these two "worlds." Over time, my experience has revealed that my shortcomings feed my faith development. I can only appreciate a saviour when I sense the need for a saviour. It was the Prodigal son's weakness that led him home to his father. It was Peter's failure when the rooster crowed and when he "wept bitterly" that helped him become the rock of our church.This is the life of faith. He leads me from my impatient fears to an unfailing patience. He leads me from tired tears to elated joy. He leads me from weakness to His divine power and He will lead me from my lack to His perfection. - Dean Robinson

An Anarchist wants the freedom to do as they please whenever they please however they please. This freedom may run contrary to any other person’s freedom to act and do as they please if it interferes with the individual Anarchist’s desires. Most of us would agree that this is a very self-centered freedom that wouldn’t work for everyone. As most will agree, there is really no element of equality or fair treatment for all in the world of Anarchism.

It is also evident that living under a dictator or even a group of people with absolute control over the populace you may have some equality or fair treatment but seldom as many rights and privileges that other forms of government may give. Yet don’t some people view God as the Supreme Dictator over the entire universe? Can’t He enforce His Law and force us humans to obey? Since this should be the right of any Creator why expect anything different? But then if He can use force to correct wrongs why does He delay wiping out all the evil from the world? Wouldn’t all Christians who believe in such a God praise Him if that was what He did?...

If we let it, the beauty of this prayer, directed toward us (for our sin also put Christ on the cross) has the power to heal and transform us completely. But it also presents us with a breathtaking challenge – one we can only hope to fulfill as we’re transformed by the beauty of God’s grace...