Rande wanted to go to a local theater show with a friend.  There was only one small glitch, Rande didn’t have a driver’s license.  Not that she had one and couldn’t find it, but she literally didn’t have a driver’s license.  She did have a car though, and soon Rande and  friend were driving the back road to the next town.  The drive went by without a hitch.  They found the theater, parked and went inside to enjoy the play.  When it was over they walked out to a now dark parking lot.    Rande and her friend got in the car and pulled out of the parking lot onto the street,  unfortunately Rande forgot to turn on the car headlights.    As luck would have it a police officer saw the mistake and the dreaded flashing lights appeared in Rande’s rear view mirror.   Fear gripped Rande as two police officers strode up to the car window and asked to see her driver’s license.  She fumbled through her purse and finding her passport asked if they would accept it.  They took it and walked back to the  patrol car to call it in.   Rande conscience pricked her so she stepped out of her car  to explain her deception.  She didn’t know that getting out of the car in that situation was not allowed.  The officers jumped out of the car and loudly said, “Get back in the car!  Get back in the car!”   Rande’s insides were trembling, but she just wanted to make things right so she replied,  “But, I just…..I just wanted to tell you that….”  She was cut short when the officers loudly repeated themselves.  “Get back in the car!  Get back in the car!”  By this time Rande was an emotional wreck.  She slid  back into the driver’s seat and when the officers approached the window of her car she tearfully explained that she didn’t have a license.  The officers looked at her friend.  “Do you have a license?”  The reply was negative.

The officers strode back to their car and spent some time talking while Rande waited apprehensively in the car.   The officers stepped out of their patrol car and once again walked over to Rande’s car window.  One of them spoke the following words, “Alright, you can just go ahead and drive home.” That was it?  Free to drive home?!  No ticket?  No impounding the car?!  Yes, that was it, just drive on home.

I know that using an “I got pulled over and didn’t get a ticket story” to illustrate how God forgives us is a little cliché, but this story did seem a little more over the top than just being let off for speeding.   God will forgive us, it doesn’t matter how black our sins are, if we ask, He will forgive.  He wants you to just drive home!

How blessed is the person whose sins the Lord will never charge against him!”  Romans 4:8 ISV