Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim Burt“The Bench in the Park” by Pastor Tim BurtIt was a beautiful crisp autumn afternoon as Emma walked through the park on her way home from church. She noticed she was still carrying her church bulletin and a small booklet, The Four Spiritual Laws, so she tucked them into her bag. She wasn’t sure why she’d grabbed the booklet on her way out—it had been sitting on the bookshelf for years.As she passed a quiet bench near the pond, she noticed a man sitting alone. His head hung low, and his shoulders slumped forward like he carried a heavy burden. Something in Emma’s heart stirred. She hesitated, then whispered a quick prayer. Lord, if this is Your prompting, help me to be bold.“Hi,” she said, approaching the bench. “Do you mind if I sit here?”The man glanced up, his eyes red and tired. “Go ahead.”Emma sat down, her heart pounding. “I’m Emma.”“Logan,” he replied flatly, staring at the pond.A moment of silence passed, and then Emma spoke again. “It’s a beautiful day, but you look like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Want to talk about it?”Logan exhaled sharply, as if releasing something pent up. “I’ve made a mess of everything. Lost my job, my wife left me, and I can’t seem to do anything right. I don’t even know why I’m here.”Emma swallowed hard, praying again silently. Give me the words, Lord.“I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way, Logan,” she said. “Can I share something that changed my life when I was at my lowest?”He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”Emma pulled the booklet from her bag. “This is called The Four Spiritual Laws. It explains how much God loves us and wants to be in our lives. May I walk you through it?”Logan nodded reluctantly.Emma opened the booklet and read aloud. “The first law is this: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. John 3:16 says, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’”Logan scoffed. “Doesn’t feel like God loves me.”“I understand,” Emma said gently. “I’ve felt that way too. But the second law explains why we feel so distant from Him: We’re separated from God because of our sin.” She flipped to Romans 3:23. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."That includes me, Logan. None of us measure up to God's holiness and perfection.”He nodded slightly, his expression softening.“But here’s the good news,” Emma continued. “The third law says Jesus Christ is God’s solution to our sin. Romans 5:8 says, ‘But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Jesus took the punishment for all our failures and pain so we could be forgiven.”Logan looked up at her, his eyes brimming. “I’ve done some terrible things.”“So have I,” Emma admitted. “But Jesus doesn’t ask us to clean up our act first. He just asks us to believe in Him.” She turned to the final page. “The fourth law is this: We need to receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord. John 1:12 says, ‘To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.’”Emma handed him the booklet. “There’s a simple prayer here. If you’re ready, you can pray it and invite Jesus into your heart.”Logan stared at the words for a long moment, then whispered, “Can I pray it now?”“Of course,” Emma said, bowing her head.Logan’s voice cracked as he repeated the prayer aloud. “Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open my heart to You and receive You as my Savior. Thank You for forgiving me and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the person You want me to be.”When he finished, a tear rolled down his cheek. “I don’t know why, but I feel lighter,” he said.“That’s the love of God,” Emma said, smiling.Weeks later, running into Emma at church, He told her excitedly, "I found a job, reconnected with my children, started reading the Bible daily, and even my wife who wouldn't talk to me before, talks to me. She knows something is different about me! Thank you for stopping that day,” he told her. “I didn’t think life could change, but God proved me wrong and He used you to help make that happen! I'll never forget that or be able to thank you enough for that!""I was just a vessel for Him to use Logan!" Never stop thanking the Lord!"As he walked away, Emma smiled, closed her eyes, lifted her voice toward Heaven and said, "All glory to You, Lord. You never stop amazing me and blessing my life! I love you!"In His love,Pastor Tim Burt
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