A Candle to the Sun
  • Home
    • Richard Wayne "Rich" Mullins
    • Resources
    • Touch Lives!
  • Early Conversations
  • Books about Rich Mullins
    • Singing from Silence >
      • Singing from Silence Reviews
      • FAQ about Singing from Silence: Questions
      • FAQ about Singing from Silence: Answers
      • Rich Mullins Mysticism in Response to Absence
      • Memories of Cincinnati Bible College
    • Let the Mountains Sing update >
      • Exchange Interview Transcript
    • Walk Through the Valley
    • Author's Note
  • Dedication
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Ragamuffin Roots
  • About this Site
    • More and more
    • Contact

Doorways to Love

10/14/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
The instructions we are given in the eight Beatitudes each resemble doorways. Every closed door, every obstacle in our path is transformed into an opportunity when we become open to God's spirit working in us. True, even when we ask, seek and knock, the unknown lies beyond the door.  Sometimes our fears of the unknown still prevent us from pushing past the threshold--even though perfect love waits patiently behind the door, entirely capable of casting out fear.

Once we open to love, we rename our obstacles, and we rename ourselves, too.  Maybe that's why the early Christians took new names when they converted.  Transforming the limiting beliefs we have about ourselves is a vital step on the path to wholeness.  I think this is part of what Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes.  

We may have begun as lacking in spirituality; when we open the door to God's love, we are lifted and filled with a heavenful of his spirit.

We may have begun as grieving and torn, yet when we open up to God's call, we recover from our shattered loneliness in the loving comfort he offers us.

We may have begun as simple seekers grasping for more belongings to add to our sense of worth, but when we open the way to God's love, we find every priceless thing has already been passed on to us.  

We may have begun as famished, without any goodness to point to in our lives, but when we open ourselves to God's love, we find we are satisfied, with enough goodness to share.

We may once have pleaded for mercy, but when we open the door to God's love, we extend compassion to our enemies no matter what we once imagined they deserve.

We may once have found fault in ourselves or others, but when we open up to God's love, we find only the best motives and suddenly God appears wherever we look.

We may once have found ourselves entangled in outward conflict, but when we open the way to God's love, we allow him to overcome the enemies within and as his obedient children, we lay our weapons down.

We may have been misunderstood, bullied, or attacked because of our response to God's love, but if in our openness we have acted in Jesus' character of reconciliation--that is, in his name--we've planted a little heaven on earth.  Eternal gain is worth the temporary pain.     
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Pam Richards

    God help me, I'm an artist.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2021
    September 2018
    July 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011

    Categories

    All
    Absence
    Angels
    Aquinas
    Argument
    Aristotle
    Art
    Beatitudes
    Birthday
    Blessings
    Book Giveaway
    Book Purchase
    Broken Lives
    Calling Of Matthew
    Candle
    Caravaggio
    Chronicles Of Narnia
    Compassionate Art
    Creative Process
    Creative Process Spirituality Beauty
    Creativity
    Creativity Gift
    C.S. Lewis
    Dante
    Death
    Debbie Blackwell Buckley
    Domestic Violence
    Donation
    Donna Yoder
    Dulcimer
    Elijah
    Emptiness
    Enemies
    Epilogue
    Fool Of God
    Friendship
    Funding Art
    Gift
    Gift As Seed
    Glory
    Gospel
    Gregorian Chant
    Hammered Dulcimer
    Here In America
    Kingdom Of Heaven
    King Solomon
    Legacy
    Letcher County
    Library
    Meek
    Memoir
    Mercy In Art
    Michelle L. Centers
    Milk Paint
    Mortality
    Music For Healing
    Mysticism
    Nature
    Now Available
    Old Masters
    Pam Richards
    Parhelion
    Patronage
    Peace
    Peace Within
    Pericles
    Ptsd
    Quaker
    Quaker Journey
    Ragamuffin
    Relationships
    Revelation 22 Drama Team
    Revelation Ranch
    Review
    Review Of Singing From Silence
    Re-writes
    Richard Mullins
    Rich Mullins
    Rich Mullins Genealogy
    Rich Mullins Portrait
    Rick Troyer
    Santur
    Second Review Of Songs From Silence
    Sharing
    Sibling Loss
    Singing From Silence
    Singing From Silence Book Review Rich Mullins Pamela Richards
    Singing From Silence Foreword Terry Fisher Jesus House Rich Mullins
    Song Of Songs
    Songs From Silence
    Sowing The Seed
    Storytelling
    Talents
    Ted Yoder
    Title
    Votive
    Website Updates
    Whitesburg Kentucky
    Work Weekend
    Yahrzeit

    Blogroll

    Lovely Little Shelf
    O me of little faith
    Indian Corn
    Jesus House
    Rabbit Room
    Unjust Steward
    Cerulean Sanctum
    South Pasedena Christian Church
    The Divine Life
    Writings from the Dirt Road
    BLOG by Andy
    Grateful to the Dead
    The Unicorn Triumphant
    Makoto Fujimara
    Transpositions