“The LORD has appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

His hands were shaking as he held the cup of hot coffee. Beside Pastor Kenward sat a man at the rescue mission who was brought to them by the local police after discovering him wandering on a cold winter’s evening. He hadn’t showered in days. His clothes were worn and tattered. “Friend,” Pastor Kenward said, “our director is warming up some supper for you. You’ll be safe here. A hot shower, some new clothes, a clean bed and best of all, you’ll learn that the Lord Jesus loves you and so do we.”

Several weeks later, on the opposite extreme, the well-dressed businessman was still complaining as he took his seat beside Pastor Kenward in the coach section, row 12, seat c. “This is the last time I’m flying this airline. There’s no more first-class seating, and now I’m stuck back here, no offense, sir,” he said to Pastor Kenward. After complaining all during the pre-flight instructions, finally he came up for breath long enough for Pastor Kenward to introduce himself as well as present a very real possibility to him.

The pastor couldn’t get over the two extremes in the people with whom he had recently spoken. Though he had shared the love of the Lord Jesus with many in between, the ragged homeless man who had arrived at their rescue mission was one extreme. Then there was the flight that Pastor Kenward was on as he was returning from a speaking engagement. The affluent businessman was disgruntled because even though he had waited until the last minute to book his flight, he had no first-class seating availability. He was “stuck” back there in coach, row 12, seat c, right next to, you guessed it, Pastor Kenward. The businessman was rude, overbearing, and frankly, obnoxious. As the plane climbed to the cruising altitude as they headed eastward, Pastor Kenward started to quietly talk with the businessman about how sometimes the Lord has appointments for us that look like disappointments at first. “I’m sure it is more comfortable up in first-class. But it would seem that the Lord worked it out for us to meet and for me to share with you about the best news I’ve ever heard. The first time I heard it was when I was a child. That news is that I am loved by the LORD Himself. In fact, I am loved with an everlasting love. May I share with you what the Bible says about His love and what He did to bring us into His family?” The businessman was subdued and quietly said, “I think that God has been chasing me. I rode to the hotel in the shuttle bus with people who talked to me about the Lord. I went to a different line at the hotel check in. The lady ahead of me talked to me about the Lord. Now out of all the seats on this plane, I sit with you. Maybe it’s time for me to hear about this message.”

For today: How will His everlasting love impact your life today? How will it impact the message you have for others as well?