It was Sunday morning. Charles* was motoring along the busy streets of Los Angeles, California, his mind heavy and his heart burdened with guilt. The radio played a popular tune, but he hardly heard it. That’s when he saw it—a billboard with a question that seemed to speak directly to him: Losing faith in God?
Below the unnerving question was a phone number: 83-FOR-TRUTH. He grabbed his phone and dialed the tollfree number.
“Hello, this is Dale, how are you today?”
“Hi, my name’s Charles. I saw your billboard and, well, I’m struggling with my faith. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I have been addicted to drugs and immoral habits and am so lonely. I don’t trust anyone either.”
Dale listened to Charles’s story and offered him encouragement. “Why don’t you study the life of Jesus? A good place to start is in the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible.” “I do plan to go to church this morning,” Charles replied. “I thought that might help.”
“Sometimes that’s a good step back to finding your faith,” agreed Dale.
Charles drove to the church he knew of. While the service was uplifting, he still felt a void inside him, as if something were missing.
The next week, he found himself dialing the 83-FORTRUTH number once again. This time, a team member named Roger answered his call.
“I want a relationship with God again,” said Charles. “It seems as if I am on my own. I am not able to do as I think I should. I did try a church last Sunday but something didn’t seem right there. Would you have a suggestion?”
Roger gladly suggested a church he knew of in Los Angeles and prayed for Charles.
After his call with Roger, Charles found himself reflecting. It was as if a higher power had laid down signs—starting with the literal sign on the Los Angeles highway—to draw him back to God. Guided by these signs and emboldened by the support he had received, Charles felt renewed hope that he could rediscover the faith he had lost.
*Names in this publication are changed to protect identities.
“When I saw the billboard, I just felt like I should call, and I’m glad I did.” –Unknown Caller
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