It’s a blessing to be one of God's sheep, even if we have wandered away. The stray sheep still belongs to its owner, and no matter how far it strays, it never stops being His. I believe that God will eventually bring back every one of His sheep to the fold, and they will all be saved. It’s a good sign

if we feel the pain of our wandering, for if we feel lost, we will surely be saved; if we feel we’ve strayed, we will certainly be brought back.

It’s good to give simply because you love to give—like a flower that releases its fragrance without thinking of doing anything else, or like a bird that sings because it’s in its nature to sing, or like the sun that shines not because it’s forced to,

but because it’s a sun and must shine. Just as the waves of the sea reflect the brilliance of the sun, not out of obligation, but because it’s in their nature, so should our giving be natural and joyful.