September 19
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:19
Keys are invaluable items in our daily lives. We have keys for everything; from the doors of our homes, to our vehicles, offices, mailboxes, even our electronics! They
bring us security by enabling us to safely enter or leave an area without the concern of unauthorized persons crossing the line into our personal space. To be the holder of keys is an awesome responsibility. How well we all know too, the feeling of having misplaced or even lost those keys! The panic! The fear that we may have opened ourselves up to the possibility of someone taking advantage of our situation;
that what is so personal and meaningful to us may be compromised.
For over 42 years my husband held the keys to a prestigious Catholic University. He knew every lock in every
one of the many buildings that comprised the campus; and how to repair them! From dorm rooms to board rooms and every lock in between, he could identify the source by looking at the code on the key! He even
amazed the President of the college on one occasion with his knowledge, when that President showed him a
key and my husband immediately rattled off which door it belonged to! How they laughed together as the President was taken by surprise! All kidding aside, the respect my husband was given was due to the trust he had earned from years of faithful integrity. It was understood that the security of the college was safe with him.
When issues and problems arose, as they did on a daily basis, because of his knowledge and wisdom he was able to quickly respond and maintain a safe environment for all involved. Many sleepless nights occurred over his concern for those it was his duty to safeguard, especially when the calls came in the middle of the night for his help. And I clearly remember an occasion witnessing some panic on his part, until when one particularly important misplaced key was located.
Peter was given a tremendous responsibility by Jesus. Did he ever feel panic and fear as he held those “keys”
I wonder? Did he have sleepless nights worrying about decisions he made about those he was accountable for? I would venture to think he did. He was human, after all.
Through Peter, then subsequently our priests and ministers, we are given the opportunity to be forgiven; of
letting out of our lives those things that lead us to sin; and by the grace of God, do our best not to allow them back in. What a feeling of confidence to know that we are so well cared for and protected! Through forgiveness we are set free, no longer locked into sin or out of grace due to our personal failings. Having lived these many years with my husband’s qualities of loyalty and honesty, it is easy for me to understand that God has my back, constantly. He knows every situation that needs safeguarding. He will quickly respond to help each of us stay out of harm’s way and to guide us toward a secure environment, one that enables us to stay on a straight and narrow path. If we accept the “keys” to living a life pleasing to God and open ourselves to God’s love and protection, we will not be defenseless; neither will our souls be vulnerable to sin.
Dear Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for giving us the “keys” to a full, faith-filled life; for your gift of forgiveness. Thank you the people in our lives who maintain various levels of security for us; for their knowledge, steadfastness and trust.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:19
Keys are invaluable items in our daily lives. We have keys for everything; from the doors of our homes, to our vehicles, offices, mailboxes, even our electronics! They
bring us security by enabling us to safely enter or leave an area without the concern of unauthorized persons crossing the line into our personal space. To be the holder of keys is an awesome responsibility. How well we all know too, the feeling of having misplaced or even lost those keys! The panic! The fear that we may have opened ourselves up to the possibility of someone taking advantage of our situation;
that what is so personal and meaningful to us may be compromised.
For over 42 years my husband held the keys to a prestigious Catholic University. He knew every lock in every
one of the many buildings that comprised the campus; and how to repair them! From dorm rooms to board rooms and every lock in between, he could identify the source by looking at the code on the key! He even
amazed the President of the college on one occasion with his knowledge, when that President showed him a
key and my husband immediately rattled off which door it belonged to! How they laughed together as the President was taken by surprise! All kidding aside, the respect my husband was given was due to the trust he had earned from years of faithful integrity. It was understood that the security of the college was safe with him.
When issues and problems arose, as they did on a daily basis, because of his knowledge and wisdom he was able to quickly respond and maintain a safe environment for all involved. Many sleepless nights occurred over his concern for those it was his duty to safeguard, especially when the calls came in the middle of the night for his help. And I clearly remember an occasion witnessing some panic on his part, until when one particularly important misplaced key was located.
Peter was given a tremendous responsibility by Jesus. Did he ever feel panic and fear as he held those “keys”
I wonder? Did he have sleepless nights worrying about decisions he made about those he was accountable for? I would venture to think he did. He was human, after all.
Through Peter, then subsequently our priests and ministers, we are given the opportunity to be forgiven; of
letting out of our lives those things that lead us to sin; and by the grace of God, do our best not to allow them back in. What a feeling of confidence to know that we are so well cared for and protected! Through forgiveness we are set free, no longer locked into sin or out of grace due to our personal failings. Having lived these many years with my husband’s qualities of loyalty and honesty, it is easy for me to understand that God has my back, constantly. He knows every situation that needs safeguarding. He will quickly respond to help each of us stay out of harm’s way and to guide us toward a secure environment, one that enables us to stay on a straight and narrow path. If we accept the “keys” to living a life pleasing to God and open ourselves to God’s love and protection, we will not be defenseless; neither will our souls be vulnerable to sin.
Dear Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for giving us the “keys” to a full, faith-filled life; for your gift of forgiveness. Thank you the people in our lives who maintain various levels of security for us; for their knowledge, steadfastness and trust.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson