Runaway Daughter
by Lisa Burkhardt Worley

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Devotional Reading: Psalm 103:1-18

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4).  

Are you running from anything?  Maybe you've been running for a long time.  For years I ran from my
mother.  After my father died from a massive heart attack two months before I was born, my mother never recovered from that death, spending her life addicted to either alcohol or prescription drugs. When I had a chance to finally escape the dysfunction of my childhood by leaving for college, I never looked back because I did not want to be like my mother.  I ran for 17 years, allowing other relatives to care for my mother when she went off her medication and had to be hospitalized. I couldn't stop to help her because I might be associated with her or I thought her illness might rub off on me.

However, when I rededicated my life to Christ, the first order of business God spoke to me about concerned my mother. My life had navigated almost as far as it could get from those childhood memories to Stratford, Connecticut, 1800 miles from my hometown of San Antonio, Texas.  I was at a crossroads.  I had an opportunity to report nationally for ESPN or go back to a weekday sports anchor job at the local station in San Antonio.  I felt a calling to go back home where I thought I could make a bigger impact for Christ
but more importantly, I thought I was supposed to return so I could finally honor my mother. My running away was over now. I turned down ESPN.

By the time I came back home, my mother was living in a group home because she couldn't take care of herself. Honoring her meant visiting her regularly and meeting her material and financial needs. I remember my mother calling me because she needed a pair of new shoes.  I felt an urgency to buy her shoes and ran out at lunch the same day she called to find them for her. I soon realized my urgency was from God because time was short.  After I purchased the shoes, I received a phone call that my mother, a heavy smoker, had suffered a massive heart attack and was in a coma at the hospital. 

During the last week of her life, I never left my mother's bedside.  I stroked her hair and
told her I loved her.  One week after she entered the hospital, she passed away and I made sure she wore her new shoes in her final resting place. Somewhere in that time frame, I know I heard the voice of God saying, "Now you understand what my unconditional love is all about."

May is the month when we honor our mothers. What do you need to forgive? How is God calling you to show unconditional love? If it is difficult to show love to someone who seems unlovable in your life, ask God for the ability to love them.  Ephesians 2:4 says, But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with 
Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 

I am thankful God had so much love in his heart for me that he still offered me
his grace despite all my shortcomings. What if he had run?

Meet Lisa Burkhardt Worley

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As a young woman out of college, Lisa Burkhardt Worley pursued a career as a television sportscaster during a time when women in sports television was not readily accepted. She was a sportscaster in local markets, including her home town of San Antonio, Texas, then as a national television correspondent for the HBO program, "Inside the NFL" and as an anchor and
reporter for the Madison Square Garden Network in New York City, the top television market in the country. As a sports reporter, Lisa covered the NFL, NBA and in 1994, she spent three and a half weeks reporting from the winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. 

At a huge turning point in her life, Lisa rededicated her life to Christ and God redirected her path. In 2008 Lisa graduated from Perkins School of Theology at SMU with a Masters of Theological Studies Degree. Lisa has served in numerous ministry leadership positions, and as the lay leader over
Women’s Ministry at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church in Flower Mound, TX. In 2009, God led Lisa to begin Pearls of Promise Ministries, a speaking and writing ministry designed to help women find freedom in Christ. Lisa speaks at numerous church gatherings, retreats, and to secular groups, both in the Texas area and in other parts of the country. To learn more about Lisa, Pearls of Promise, or her ministry please visit: 
http://pearlsofpromiseministries.com/

Pearls of Promise Devotional

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Just as pearls are formed by irritations inside an oyster shell, God makes a pearl out of every trial and struggle in our lives. The Pearls of Promise devotional contains 120 "pearls of promise" from God written by 46 authors from all over the United States. 
These honest and personal stories or "pearls" were written to encourage women in their faith journey. Pearls of comfort, encouragement, faith, truth, love, joy, peace, praise, prayer, forgiveness and wisdom; let our "pearls," born out of trials and struggles, speak directly to you. The Pearls of Promise devotional is a "go to" resource when you need inspiration from God because he has a priceless “pearl” waiting for you. What “pearl” do you need today? 
Pearls of Promise now available on Amazon, click here or book icon and order your copy today.