Feb
8
2022
Access
Posted in Salvation 4 Comments
I was a few rows behind her.
She was in her mother’s arms as we were all singing at church.
I would guess that she was about five years old.
Her mother lifted her so she could see a bit better.
If truth be told, her mother lifted her because there will come a time when she will be too big.
There will come a time when this will be in the rear view mirror.
But for now, it was special to them.
It was a sweet thing to witness from my perspective.
The little girl was singing.
She smiled at people behind her as she sang.
She was singing in her mother’s ears.
I imagined how the sound of her little voice must have tickled her mother’s ears.
As I watched her, she began to stroke her mother’s hair.
Tenderly and purposefully, she ran her little hands down the long strands.
Perhaps, feeling her mother’s hair was soothing to her.
Perhaps, she just loved her mother so much, this kind of touch was a way to express that love.
I thought about the fact that not just anyone could stroke her mother’s hair.
There are boundaries.
There are personal spaces.
No one could simply run their hands through the long strands of hair.
Since the little girl was her daughter, she had access to her mother.
Without question, she could hug her and sing into her ears.
Without dispute, she could run her little hands down the long strands of hair.
That kind of access comes with relationship.
My granddaughter lifted her arms in the air as she came near to me.
She wanted to be lifted into my arms.
I gladly put my hands under her arms and lifted her into mine.
She laid her head on my shoulder and patted my upper back.
In that moment, I love you, was not spoken in words.
It was spoken through a small pat on my upper back.
After a few minutes, she pulled herself away and looked into my eyes.
Then she brought her index finger close to my face.
I knew what was coming next.
She put her index finger on my lips.
Then she put that same finger, that touched my lips, to her lips.
Are you trying to put on Grandma’s lipstick? I asked as she giggled.
Three little granddaughters all try to do the same thing.
They don’t ask for the tube of lipstick so they can apply it.
They take some of my lipstick on their finger (or so they think) and put it on their lips.
It is the funniest thing to see, as I pretend to protest.
They laugh with abandon no matter how many times it is repeated.
They think that they are taking a bit of color from my lips and applying it to their lips.
Quite ingenious, actually.
Whether successful or not in the application, they have access to me.
I wouldn’t allow just anyone to come up and put their finger to my lips.
I wouldn’t allow just anyone to hug me and pat my upper back.
I love that they have access to Grandma.
My grandson, and any other grandchildren God gives our family, will have that same access.
…remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household…(Ephesians 2:12-19)
We have access to God the Father.
That access is possible only through Jesus.
Jesus’ blood, shed for us on the cross, reconciled us to God.
There is peace with God for those who were far away from Him and peace to those who are near.
Through Jesus, we have access to the Father.
We are fellow citizens with others who have been saved by His shed blood.
We are members of His household.
We are no longer foreigners and strangers.
Do you have that kind of access to the Father?
You can.
That access is available to you through Jesus, God’s Son.
Tender access is available to you through Him.
Come to Him.
Reach you arms in the air.
He will tenderly hold you and keep you.
Through Jesus, your access to the Father will never be taken away.
Amen.
Thanks for this precious reminder of our status in Christ.
Amen, Paula.
It is indeed a precious status.
Gina
Amen ! Praise God for salvation!
Amen and Amen, Cindy!
Gina