Into His Arms! by Lea Lockhart
Have you ever watched those videos of soldiers coming home and surprising
their families? I love and hate those at the same time. The kids will open a very large wrapped box and out pops Dad. Or, Dad comes around the corner into his child’s classroom to surprise his little girl. She looks up in absolute shock and disbelief. Her hands cover her eyes to catch the tears as it sinks in. Then, without hesitation, like a bolt of lightning, she takes off 
running right into the arms of her father, who was waiting for her with outstretched arms. She buries her head in his neck pouring out a bucket of tears; tears of joy and love. It gets me over and over again. I’m always a bit envious of those children, having never had that with my earthly father.
But now, I have a Heavenly Father that called me to Himself with outstretched arms. He drew me into His arms of grace. I am His. He will never let me go. He is with me always – No Deployments! I get to be with Him for all of eternity. His love is an everlasting love and His love never fails. Indeed, the account of the prodigal son in Luke 15 shows the Father as the one who ran to embrace us!
I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Luke 15:18-20
At times, just like that little girl, I too have my hands over my eyes catching tears of joy; not just because my heavenly Father loves me, but because He loved me so much that He gave up His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross so that I could be His daughter, in a right relationship with Him. Jesus paid the penalty for my sins. He gave me eyes to see and ears to hear to see and hear who I was; a sinner in need of a savior, and who He is; the Savior of the world. He changed my heart from one of stone to one of flesh. I can feel and love now because of Him. Jesus, with outstretched arms on the cross, in pure agony said, “It is finished”! The penalty for my sin had been satisfied. I could now be His!! I am now a child with a Father whose love never fails.
Hands over my eyes, head bowed in gratitude, tears of joy, and held securely in His arms of grace. I’m not in shock or disbelief; I’m in Awe of the one who “chose me in Him before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and blameless before Him. In love he predestined me for adoption to himself as a daughter through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed me in the Beloved. Eph 1:4-6
Thank you my God!!
This is beautiful, Lea! Thank you for sharing your heart! God’s love for His children never ceases to amaze me!
Thank you Elizabeth. What a Savior!