May 19
But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, “Go and stand in the Temple and speak to the people . . .” Acts 5:19
How scary in can be to suddenly realize you are locked out! It could be your car, your home or your dorm room; no key hidden outside somewhere, no one around with that extra set of keys, or worse yet, someone or something valuable on the other side of that locked door that you need to get to in a hurry! I can still remember one of my daughters nearly ripping off the bathroom door one time when her two year old toddled in, slammed the door, and somehow it locked. In her panic over her baby’s safety, she had the strength of ten men, as she tells it, to get that sealed door open!
And somehow it seems worse when these things happen to us while we are alone, in the stillness and quiet of night. What an awful feeling to be standing outside, unable to think clearly in the distress of it all, aggravated, and because a pin drop can be heard in a hushed, sleeping neighborhood, no shouting or carrying on can be had! As a locksmith, my husband is frequently getting calls in the late night hours from neighbors, friends and students, who know who to call for immediate help. They know he can be counted on to quickly and efficiently open whichever door needs to be. An often very uncomfortable situation once over, enables them to come and go, as life carries on in great relief. Some people then reconsider a backup plan too, with the hope of preventing it from happening again.
Today’s passage has me also thinking about other things that lock us in or out; circumstances that prevent us from being who we are meant to be. How many of them are self-imposed restrictions? We imprison ourselves with unnecessary worry, fear and guilt, halting us from moving forward without restraint. We lock others out of our lives with lack of love, understanding and compassion, and we are left out in the dark, alone. But are we? The apostle Luke tells us here that God will send His angel to us, to open those doors we are imprisoned by. In the quiet of night, when things cannot seem worse, we will not be found alone. Like Christ’s followers in this passage, imagine our surprise to have those chains lifted! To find ourselves no longer held captive by our thoughts or inability to act! God has given us the key to the locked door and a backup plan. All we have to do is to try the lock.
Omnipotent God! Thank you for giving us your angels, at our beck and call, to help free us day and night, of all that locks us out of our relationship with you! Abba! Father! We are yours!
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, “Go and stand in the Temple and speak to the people . . .” Acts 5:19
How scary in can be to suddenly realize you are locked out! It could be your car, your home or your dorm room; no key hidden outside somewhere, no one around with that extra set of keys, or worse yet, someone or something valuable on the other side of that locked door that you need to get to in a hurry! I can still remember one of my daughters nearly ripping off the bathroom door one time when her two year old toddled in, slammed the door, and somehow it locked. In her panic over her baby’s safety, she had the strength of ten men, as she tells it, to get that sealed door open!
And somehow it seems worse when these things happen to us while we are alone, in the stillness and quiet of night. What an awful feeling to be standing outside, unable to think clearly in the distress of it all, aggravated, and because a pin drop can be heard in a hushed, sleeping neighborhood, no shouting or carrying on can be had! As a locksmith, my husband is frequently getting calls in the late night hours from neighbors, friends and students, who know who to call for immediate help. They know he can be counted on to quickly and efficiently open whichever door needs to be. An often very uncomfortable situation once over, enables them to come and go, as life carries on in great relief. Some people then reconsider a backup plan too, with the hope of preventing it from happening again.
Today’s passage has me also thinking about other things that lock us in or out; circumstances that prevent us from being who we are meant to be. How many of them are self-imposed restrictions? We imprison ourselves with unnecessary worry, fear and guilt, halting us from moving forward without restraint. We lock others out of our lives with lack of love, understanding and compassion, and we are left out in the dark, alone. But are we? The apostle Luke tells us here that God will send His angel to us, to open those doors we are imprisoned by. In the quiet of night, when things cannot seem worse, we will not be found alone. Like Christ’s followers in this passage, imagine our surprise to have those chains lifted! To find ourselves no longer held captive by our thoughts or inability to act! God has given us the key to the locked door and a backup plan. All we have to do is to try the lock.
Omnipotent God! Thank you for giving us your angels, at our beck and call, to help free us day and night, of all that locks us out of our relationship with you! Abba! Father! We are yours!
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson