The Lion and The Lamb Pt.9
"How can I understand these things?" I started to interrogate the Lion, "what does this have to do with me?"
The Lion just stayed in His rested position, staring intently at me.
"Why am I so important?" I continued with a harsh tone, "who are you to call me your child?"
The Lion slowly rose from His place, I drew back with the fear of Him about to attack me. He didn't attack though but walked gracefully past me. I watched as He passed me but my eye traced back the Lion's footsteps in the sand. I noticed something very strange about His footsteps, that there were those of imprints like a lamb running along His.
"Come look My child." The Lion guided me to a small tide pool in the sand, "what do you see?"
As I gazed in this pool, I saw a reflection of myself.
"Myself." I answered blankly.
"Look again," the Lion recommended, "look deeper My child."
As I looked more inside my reflection, I was drawn into the small tide pool. Slowly I fell deeper and deeper into this pool as it seemed more and more of a pit. Images and memories flooded the water around me, on the right of me I saw the angered face of my mother as I remembered the disobedience I had committed. On my left I saw the disapproval of my father as I made choices against what he had taught me. Guilt flooded my mind as each memory flowed through in front of me but something strange happened as I slowly landed on my feet at the bottom of this fall, I saw an image of my parents holding a younger me, embracing me with love and forgiveness. Suddenly, I understood, finally I knew. Falling to my knees, with my head in my hands, crying, the Lion walked through the center of the image of my parents and I, whisping the image away.
“Do you now understand?” the Lion inquired as He approached me.
“I do,” I responded as I lifted my heavy head, “I do now.”
“Then you see why.” the Lion commented.
“Yes,” I responded, “I was guilty, guilty of lying, stealing, hurting, and all the wrong in the world. No matter what I could do, I couldn’t wash away any of the dirt, mud, and impurity covering me. You as a Father, saw me, broken and disgusting, and loved me. Even in my filth, still wanting me to be close to You and to be Your child, Your son, You let Your own Son die so You could redeem me and all Your lost creation. You forgave me of my lies, thievery, malice, and all. So yes I do see why.”
A proud grin of a father came to the Lion’s face as He stood there in front of me. In that moment, there was silence again, there was peace. Only thing I could hear was the water washing up against the shore above me. Looking down at my body again, examining the mud covering my skin.
“I don’t want this on me anymore,” I pleaded as I broke the silence, “I don’t want to be dirty anymore.”
“Do you promise not to disobey?,” the Lion asked of me, “to do no wrong no more?”
“I don’t know how to keep from doing those,” I explained my case, “I don’t know anything else?”
“Listen to my Son,” the Lion commanded, “follow Him, watch Him, learn from Him.”
“I promise.” I committed to the Lion only saying as a step of faith.
In a moment, I was no longer under the water but on the shore of the river. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the light around me. I waited for a moment to take in my surroundings to see that I was on the other side of the river.
“Hello, brother.” a soft and familiar voice came from behind me.
Turning around, I could see the Lamb standing behind me. Again, I could see the look of love in the eyes of this little animal. He called me brother, in my mind and heart I knew that I was nothing compared to the Lamb. After all He had died so I could be free from my filth and be part of His family.
“Thank You.” I said with gratitude to the Lamb.
The Lamb stood there with His loving grin, examining me. I wondered what He was seeing on me, so I went to investigate, looking into the river. Looking into the river, into my reflection I could see that my skin, my body was clean, I couldn’t see a speck of mud. My body no longer felt the weight of the mud, I felt free from the guilt. A smile came to my face, for I knew this, that I was free. I turned to the Lamb and ran up to Him and embraced Him.
“Thank You so much,” I appreciated the Lamb with tears of joy, “thank You for giving up Yourself so I can be free”
“There is so much more,” the Lamb explained.
“What more is there?” I asked intently.
“I died to give you life.” The Lamb revealed.
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