December is here and I have just brewed a pot of Door County White Christmas Coffee. I might have to wear a Christmas tie just to get in my Christmas groove.
Our living room has an open concept to the second floor. Rene decorates all the spindles in the railings with snowmen. At times I find it kind of creepy to have all those eyes staring at me when I turn the lights off and head to bed. The snowmen don't get to move and their view of life is behind bars. They are a captive audience to anything below. The snowmen remind me of people behind bars. Not necessarily the bars in a jail but the type of bars that people put up to protect themselves from being hurt again. They have loved, and trusted and have been betrayed by lovers, family or friends. So they put up walls and become captive observers to life. Their hurt and inability to forgive and move on has them held captive from experiencing life.
How does one move beyond the self erected bars of captivity? The answer is to trust Jesus and learn to love and forgive like He does.
Romans 5:7-9New International Version (NIV)
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Jesus was despised in His own town, laughed at and mocked. Yet He went to the cross to die for those same people. He could have said "They aren't worth it. They have hurt me". I will refuse to love again. I am thankful that He didn't. He sent us His love without any expectations. But how He rejoices when that love is accepted and returned. We can tear down the walls of hurt when we trust Him and experience that love. The experience teaches us how to love and want to love again. Don't let this Christmas go by with bars guarding your heart. A heart beats best when it beats for others.
Only 24 days until Christmas. Why wait?
Marty
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