The Cross

I had to post a picture of my own sweet kids today! Jack...11. Madie...13. Megan....20.

I spent the morning and most of the afternoon with my friend. She is the kind of friend that has seen me in the worst of times and has loved me in grace and mercy and tough truthful love. She never once judged me or did I feel judgement when I was around her. We met at Starbucks today. She treated me to a nonfat vanilla latte...yum! We sat and talked for a good 4 hours. We talked about God and truth and salvation.

As I was driving to meet her God showed me an image of Christ. He was walking slowly...to His death. I sensed God asking me what that meant to me. I sensed that God wanted me to go back to this truth...that Jesus walked to the cross and died a painful death...for us. There is a scripture that the Lord showed me in John 18 v 4. "Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them..." I know I have read that scripture before, but this time I read it a second and a third time.

Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to him. He was fully aware of his fate. Yet he still chose without hesitation to step forward...Would I do that?

When Jesus finally was walking up to the cross what do you think was going on in his mind? I am sure it was of you and it was me and our freedom. He died so we could be free. He died so we could stand in truth and receive His love. He died so that the Holy Spirit could live in us.

As I talked with my friend today everything kept coming back to Jesus dying on the cross. We were trying to make sense of some really hard things...but we kept coming back to the cross. We were wondering, hoping, discussing and it kept coming back to the cross.

The amazing thing is that after Jesus died on the cross so we could be free and He resurrected so we could have life. Tonight the cross is on my mind. The cross is fresh in my heart. And as I face some tough decisions over the next few days, I must stand firm on my understanding and knowledge that I am free because Jesus died on the cross for me...He knew what was happening, he endured pain, extreme pain, mocking, flogging, betrayal...He did that for me.

I will not forget that or nonchalantly talk about it...like it was just an everyday event...I hope that as I fall asleep it is on my mind and as I wake up it is the first thing that I think about.

He bled so that I would be free.

I want to truly let that sink in to my heart tonight.

Love...Teresa