Key to the heart.

" Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in." - Jesus Christ (revelations 3:20)

            I read this in captivating and it has me thinking and also self evaluating. The first thing I think about is patience. Jesus is patient even with his deep yearning for a relationship with us, Jesus gently knocks as he calls out for us. He does this however long it takes for us to answer his call and invite him in. As humans, we are impatient especially those of us living in the land of the free and home of the give me instant gratification. Even those in our lives whom we believe to be most patient have breaking points. This is okay, for we are imperfect perfectly made beings of God. We are often quick to question God and also quick to blame or be angry with him. Many of us cry out "why are you not listening God?" "Why is this happening to me?" " I pray but you are not near." " God, are you really there at all?"

                 We question God in times of hardship. We sometimes take matters into our own hands. We start to believe in our ability to run our lives as we see fit better than God can. You are not going to like this part anymore than I do but the truth is God's timing is not your timing. God's plan is not your plan. In this there is an ultimate gift. The gift is that when we turn our lives over to God and allow him to direct our path we find his path for us and his path is far beyond any life we could ever have imagined. Maybe it is not that he doesn't hear or care about our prayers maybe it is that he answers them in a time and fashion we never expected. Be patient and trust in the lord.

                 Secondly, doors also have locks and keys. Each of us experience pain. Many of us are deeply wounded. We handle our hurt by stuffing it deep down in our heart and locking the key on it. No one can look at or touch your locked heart. This is a dark place we allow no one to see because we have been cut too deep and these cuts leave permanent scars if we let them. Jesus Christ not only seeks you to ask him into your life as his savior in heaven. Not only does the verse urge us to answer his call so that we may be saved and have a place in heaven but Jesus wants us to faithfully hand over the key to our heart. The dark and ugly scars you hold so tightly in efforts to not be hurt again will never heal unless we give them over completely to him. God knows you. He know ever single strand of hair on your head and he loves you eternally. I am realizing that I have reached out the first part of salvation by asking the lord to be savior of my life but I have failed to completely fulfill the other important part. I haven't wholly given over Jesus the key to my heart. I hold on tightly to the hurtful statements made about me and I believe them as truth...I claim them as identity. I am so afraid of letting go it feels paralyzing. I have have asked Jesus Christ to be in my life and guide me. I have asked him to come in the door and keep me company... but I have yet to hand over the key to the depths of my heart. Jesus wants the key so that he may fully bring healing to our hearts. He is always patiently waiting for us even when we don't hear him knocking and even when we feel completely unworthy of his name. Jesus loves us so much that he died on the cross for our sins. Let us work toward fully giving over the key to him. He gave us life... why should we not trust him with our heart? 


love in Christ,

Laura Katherine