Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Shut Your Eyes

Imagine the worst, most agonizing pain you've ever felt.
            Imagine the deepest terror you've ever experienced.
                        Imagine the darkest loneliness you've ever succumbed to.
           
Now—
            imagine being back right in the middle of that hurt, that fear, that loneliness.
Imagine shutting your eyes to block it all out and feeling it remain.
                                       And imagine that when you open your eyes
                                                                                                it's
                                                                                                   still
                                                                                                      right
                                                                                                         there.
                                    That's death.
                                                That's Hell.


Now.

  Imagine the most perfect joy you have ever known.
            Imagine the most incredible, beautiful object or person or place you have ever seen.
                        Imagine the most gentle, tender, special love you have ever received.

Now—
               remember the pain and fear and loneliness we just talked about?
                                    Good.

Imagine being in the midst of that pain, that fear, that loneliness and shutting your eyes to block it all out, and opening your eyes and waking up to
                                                                                                                                                                                                the most perfect joy;
                                                                                                                                                                          the most incredible, beautiful Person in the most incredible, beautiful Place;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        the most gentle, tender, special love ever.

                                    That's true life.
                                                That's Heaven.

                                                     That's what Jesus bought for each one of us on the Cross.
Now—
              shut your eyes.
                                   
                                    Imagine . . .
                                                what He did
                                                            for
                                                                  you.