I haven’t missed an Indy 500 since 1972. When I was nine years old, I convinced my parents during the race to allow me to go to the gift shop by myself. I wanted a purchase that blue tie-dyed T-shirt in remembrance of this historic day. I had barely reached the shop when race officials called the race due to bad weather.

The storm presented me with two problems. First, I was lost with no way to communicate with my parents. Second, 400,000 people now stood between us. Step-by-step, tear-by-tear, I walked my way back to my mom and dad. Unfortunately, that’s how I saw my relationship with God. I thought that I had earned my way back to my heavenly Father. It took me about twenty years to understand that God is a God of grace. He chases down lost sinners so that we might have eternal life (Luke15:20).

For more, watch The Restoration Road with Mitch Kruse, Episode 4: The Dirt Road: “If I Can Get You Convinced, I Can Get Them Convinced.”

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