My sister sent me another of her early writings, which I am posting here. I believe you will find it inspirational. I have applied minor copy editing, but other than that, it is as she wrote it back in October, 2001.
On the auction block—battered, dirty, wrecked by the sins of my life… He comes forward at the call of the auctioneer/executioner—the final call. Those slated for destruction are worthless but very expensive. He reaches out…willing to pay the high price. I have been lifted from the executioner’s block by His powerful, loving, everlasting arms. How can this be—my life snatched from a loveless eternity—from the pain of failure, hardness, and disgrace…? The one who had been full of sinister delight at the thought of my torture and untold agony now snarls as the priceless ransom is paid in full. For my beloved Redeemer has come, and I surrender completely to Him—rescued at the last.
But there is more, so much more. He begins to speak to me—marvelous words of unfathomable love—and His words begin to revive the life within me. Slowly, oh so slowly, my parched soul begins to respond to His persistent, compassionate, loving care of me. He is so beautiful, so strong, so gentle, so tender in His care of me. Do I dare let my heart trust His love? So many have hurt and betrayed me. What if…? Yet, He continually reassures me that His love is forever. Just speaking His name brings waves of comforting peace to my thirsty heart. I must have more of Him. My heart has begun to know Him, and it is starved to receive such a holy, pure love. All other things lay discarded in a heap of forgotten treasures. My oh-so-hardened heart begins to melt in the gaze and power of His fiery love. He stays close and begins to cleanse me from the foulness of my life. Every sin is cleansed–clear through to the depth. He covers every one of them with His precious, costly blood. I cringe at His touch—the ugliness of my sin exposed. But He is determined by a love I can’t comprehend to make me as beautiful as He created me to be oh so long ago. The process of cleansing is so agonizing at times, but He will not give up on me.
Remember the executioner? He was angry that I was rescued from his block, and he had sent his minions to hound me. Sometimes, they could get close and deliver a fresh blow to my heart. They constantly voiced doubts to me about Him—doubts I harbored deep down because trusting anyone is very difficult, to say the least.
And yet, His very words assured me over and over again that He would never stop loving me, forgiving me, or healing me. And as the truth of His love penetrates deeper and deeper into my heart and I realize the depths of His forgiveness for every single sin I’ve ever committed against anyone, I am overwhelmed with love against Him. I dare to reach out and love Him with all I have. He has done it. He has reached through the locked bolts of my heart. I have fallen under the weight of His forgiveness into a place of vulnerable love, hopeful love, eternal love. I am cleansed from all the horrible ugliness of my sin. His love has captured me…
FOREVER
