Turning back to God.

The old adage "A watched pot never boils" is apropos here. It seems the longer one watches the pot, the longer it appears nothing changes. The adage comes from those who want change to occur quickly. Staring at a pot does little to speed the process. Whether we are talking about the prophet Zechariah in 528 BC or the current state of affairs in 2016, the human race still carries the same burden and that is sin. Nothing has changed. God does not watch the pot but does gaze at humanity and hopes for change to occur.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran

to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20b, NIV)

Israel walked near God and walked far from God and always there was God waiting and sending one messenger after another to the non-repentant nation. That speaks volumes to me and affirms the notion that God never gave up on Israel. God doesn't give up on us either. It speaks to me of God's patience and willingness to wait.

The turning point for water boiling is when molecules become so active....oh, never mind. I'll let some 'experts' describe the process.

Heat - We know that Heat is a form of energy that is transferred by difference in temperature of regions. Here, it's just the amount of energy required by the H2OH2O (?) molecules in the liquid state to get converted to gaseous state. As we provide heat, it gets absorbed by water to get converted into water vapors.

Convection - It's the transfer of heat through water (proper term is fluid) caused by molecular motion. You see, Convection can be brought to focus by taking normal experiments into account. Particles (even Chalk) would rise and fall in somewhat rotatory motion due to this flow of heat. The water vapor formed at the bottom of the liquid (water) flows to the top in the form of united water vapor bubbles. 'Cause it's a gas and its so hot down there..! (This explains bubble formation when water is boiled. (http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/37838/what-makes-water-boil)

Long story short, a great change has to occur for cold water to turn into a roiling pot of water above 212 degrees. Our relationship with God is dependent on our decision to repent of sin and turn back to God. It requires a drastic change of direction, of mind, and of relationship. God doesn't make us change, that is our choice. Once we commit to change and make that 180 degree turn, great change does occur. We are made new and regenerated from dead to life. John Wesley liked the image of a porch and a door on a house to describe the journey one must make toward God.

The final outcome for boiling water can be a hundred things. The outcome for repentant sinners is always a relationship with God that cannot be destroyed. If you are standing outside the house, then step up on the porch and make the decision to stop whatever causes separation between you and your God. Get ready to sense that sweet moment of assurance, "Welcome Home."

And you thought I was going to say, "Your tea is ready."