Humor me for a moment. I want you to imagine that you have
just become a father/mother. You have just adopted a child, and you couldn’t
possibly be more overjoyed. You play the scene in your head over and over and
get excited about meeting and growing close to this child. The day finally
arrives when you will meet your child. You see them off in the distance, and
you feel yourself begin to run towards them. Your heart is racing and you are
bursting with anticipation. The child comes into view, and you crouch down and
open your arms for them to run into your embrace for a welcoming hug. Then,
everything begins to go downhill…
The child doesn’t seem to notice you. They stop short of you
and begin to look around them. You call out their name, but they don’t seem to
hear you. Concerned and confused, you reach out to place your hand on their
shoulder. They take a step back away from you and brush themselves off. With
tears welling up in your eyes, you cry out the child’s name again. They once
again do not hear you and begin to walk away from you. You feel your heart
plummet from within you. As the child fades out of view, you cry out their name
again and begin to follow them so that you don’t lose sight of them. There is
once again no response.
Now, crushed and broken-hearted, you follow the child at a
distance. You realize that even though they do not acknowledge you, you still
have a responsibility to look out for them. You try to catch up to them, but
they always stay the same distance away from you. Then you notice rocks hurling
through the air towards your child. In a panic, you yell out their name and run
faster. It’s no use. The rocks pummel the child, and they wail in pain. No
matter how hard you try, you can never catch up to them. Suddenly, more rocks
fly through the air towards your child. They are now hurt and lying on the
ground. They find their marks, causing the child excruciating pain. The child
wails and looks around for help. Even though you continue to holler out their
name, they cannot hear you. Your biological child hears you and comes to your
aide. He is your grown son who always helps you out. You feel at one with them
and are glad when they are willing to help.
You explain the situation to your son, pointing to the child
off in the distance. Sharing in his father’s sadness, he is moved to tears.
Suddenly, it dawns upon you. You have no idea how you figured it out, but you
now realize that you have to choose. You must choose the broken and bleeding
child who won your heart when you first laid eyes on them or your even-willing
and able son who has always been by your side. Now overcome with despair, you
look into your son’s eyes, knowing what must be done. The son realizes also
what needs to happen and asks you if there is any other way. You are certain in
knowing that you need to do whatever you can to save that child. You make the
decision, and have your own son killed. As his blood poured out, you hear him
cry out. You feel pain watching your son die helplessly, but you are determined
now more than ever to save the bleeding child.
After your son’s final breath a bridge forms between you and
the child. The child notices it! They wipe their tears away and use the side of
the bridge to pull themselves up. You begin towards them once more, now able to
get closer to them. The child curiously wanders out across the bridge. You once
again are face to face. The child seems somewhat aware of your presence but
still looks around. You whisper their name, and they perk up. They heard you!
You feel the tears begin to flow as you tell them that you love them and open
your arms once more. The child looks at you and says… “You don’t exist,” and
walks away.
This is how God loves us. He loves us so much that He sent
His only son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice for us so that we can have a bridge to
Him. Then, He raised His son from death, and He lives today! So many people don’t know that God did this for them, and they push Him
away or say that He doesn’t exist. It breaks God’s heart, but His love never
changes for you, whether the rocks that hit you in life were caused by yourself
or someone else.
God is still there, standing with open arms waiting for you.
You don’t have to be perfect; He wants you just as you are. He just wants you
to say, “Yes, I accept your love, and I accept that you sent your Son to die to
save me.” It’s that easy! If this is you today, say these words to Him, and He
will welcome you home with those open arms. You are never too far gone. That
bridge that He created covers all of the sin that kept Him from catching up to
you before. If you are ready to know your Father, please pray this with me:
“Father, I know that I have made a mess of my life, but
I’m ready for you now. I believe that you sent your Son Jesus to die for my
sins, and I accept your love and forgiveness. I’m so sorry for all of the
wrongful things that I have done, and I thank you that your Grace is enough to
cover all of my sins. Thank you, Lord for adopting me into your family and
saving me. I thank you for the new start that you give me here and now. In
Jesus Name I pray. Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer, congratulations! I would love to
hear from you. Please take a moment to leave a comment below, so that I can
congratulate you personally.
Welcome to the Family, and make it a great day!
