The gate at the top of my basement stairs was put in when my husband was alive.
His cancer had made him very fragile and one time his legs collapsed and he did sink to the floor in front of that gate. I was so thankful for it.
John 10:4-11 tells that Christ is the gate and whoever comes in with him will be saved.
Most of us are restrained by walls but a gate has a promise in it. It is a promise of entry and of exit. There is freedom built into it…freedom to be safe inside but also the freedom to go out and find pasture.
Today I had the freedom to leave the house and drive to church. But without my snow tires on yet, I kept the garage doors closed…the car would be safer there than skidding all over icy roads.
Instead, I walked (carefully) two doors over to my friend Mary’s. We had a prayer together and read today’s “Daily Bread.”
Mary is one of my “Today’s Blessings” and has been a good friend since my husband’s death…hers died of cancer two years earlier than Harry…she understands me and we support each other in this long journey of grief.
When I stand at her door and knock I know I will receive a welcome. Like a gate her door offers me sanctuary, compassion and understanding and when our visit is over, I leave a bit stronger and ready to face whatever the day brings.
In the winters down south we lived in a gated community. We felt very safe there but somehow the wild pigs that roved in the desert nearby were smart enough to sneak in at night when one of the residents activated the gate. Nasty creatures, they ate up our flower gardens!
We too have to be careful about what sneaks into our spiritual sanctuaries…sometimes a gate needs a bit of oversight. Being discerning is part of our responsibility as Christians. Sometimes we think we have everything right but we can get confused. I will always remember my husband asking me after church one Sunday….”What was the anthem about…all I could hear was “Five white cakes”…I guess we hadn’t articulated very well…I explained that the anthem title that Sunday was “Fling Wide the Gates.” It became a much laughed at family joke, for year4s.
And yes, sometimes we need to leave the comfort of our own little niche to “fling wide the gates) and step out into God’s world.
