For the past few weeks hubby and I have had a ramp up the front steps of our home. As you can see here …
“Why??” you might be wondering.
My friend recently had complex spine surgery, and with her own home being 7 hrs. away in another state I offered for her to come stay with us the week after she was discharged from the hospital, while she recovered.
She gratefully accepted.
So, Saturday afternoon found hubby and me bringing her home from the hospital – weak, fragile, and in great pain!
Our daughter was able to borrow a wheelchair for us to use, for which we were supremely thankful! There was no way our friend could make it up the steps, or the ramp hubby had made.
Together, hubby and I carefully wheeled my friend up the ramp and into the house. Now she could just rest and recover.
Seeing the ramp up into the house, it has been such a beautiful picture to me of what salvation is like.
My friend did not ask me if she could come stay in my home to heal and recover after her surgery. I was the one who reached out to her. I noticed in her Christmas card this past December that she was going to be having surgery in my city. I knew she lived far away and that she would need a place to stay after the surgery. So, I actively reached out to her and offered for her to stay with us.
This is what God has done for each of us. Each of us are “broken” by our sinfulness. We are not searching for God. But God has actively reached out to us!
God has reached out to us inviting us to come to His home – Heaven. God’s home is a wonderful place! It is a place of healing and rest.
My reason for reaching out to my friend and offering for her to come to my home was not because she was super famous or important. I reached out to her because I care about her, and I love her.
In the same way, God has reached out to each of us inviting us to come to His home – Heaven – not because we are something special or super famous. But simply because God cares about us and God loves us.
My reason for reaching out to my friend and offering for her to come to my home was not because she could do anything for me. My friend did not pay me. She did not do anything at all. She simply accepted my invitation and received my hospitality.
In the same way, God has reached out to each of us inviting us to come to His home – Heaven – not because He wants something from us. We cannot do anything or give God anything in order to gain access into God’s home. We simply accept God’s invitation. We simply receive God’s offer of hospitality.
Love is selfless. Love sacrifices.
In order for my friend to enter my home (where healing and rest await), a ramp had to be built. A way had to be made to get her up the steps to the front door. She could not get there on her own. She was too weak. She was “broken” and fragile.
Not only did a way have to be made – a ramp had to be built – but my friend needed to be “carried” up the ramp. Even with a ramp in place, my friend could not walk up the ramp. It was more than she could do.
So, a wheelchair was provided, and hubby & I wheeled (aka: “carried”) my friend up the ramp which had been made.
This is such a beautiful picture of what God has done for humanity.
Each of us are “broken” because of our sinfulness. We have nothing to offer God. We are weak. We are fragile. We are helpless. There is nothing we can do to earn entrance into God’s home. And yet God cares about us! God loves us! God reaches out to us and invites us into His home – Heaven.
But we can’t get there. We are just too broken!
A way has to be made. A “ramp” must be built to get up the steps to the front door of Heaven.
Jesus Christ was so selfless that he made the “ramp” for us to get up the steps to enter Heaven. Jesus Christ was so selfless that He sacrificed his very life to be that ramp for us! Jesus Christ is the ramp!
Jesus Christ is love! Selfless love that sacrificed everything to be the “ramp” for us.
Love is selfless. Love sacrifices.
But not only that, we are so helpless and so broken by our sinfulness that even still we aren’t able to get up the ramp. And so, Jesus Christ carries us up the ramp of his own sacrifice!
Because love is selfless. Love sacrifices.
Just like my home was open and welcome for my friend to come and rest, heal and recover … so also, God’s home – Heaven – is open and welcome for everyone to come!
But we can’t get there on our own.
We need the “ramp” of Jesus. And we need Jesus to carry us.
He will.
Jesus loves you so much that he sacrificed to make a “ramp” up to Heaven just for you.
Jesus loves you so much that he will carry you up the “ramp” … if you will let him.
Jesus is the perfect picture of love!
Love is selfless. Love sacrifices.
