Are you in prison?

Peter was in prison. To get to know how he got there, we must first get to know who Peter was. Jesus's most vociferous disciple, ready for action, extrovert, impulsive and fearless. Actually, fearless but cowardly. Otherwise, why would he deny Jesus, his beloved Master three times in one night? All that was water under the bridge, when Peter started his vocation, post Jesus' death. The Good Book says his shadow falling on a sick man, could heal the man of sickness.

Now, this vociferous son of thunder was in prison for preaching Jesus. What was he doing there, just the night prior to his arraignment before Herod? Fast asleep, bound by two chains, between two soldiers with two separate guard posts outside his prison cell! Peter was asleep.Like a baby. Like as if he was in his own home. Like he was getting ready for his marriage the next day - when in fact, he was to appear before Herod the king.

Are you in prison? Would you sleep like Peter or rave and rant like me? We get ourselves into many a prisons - not necessarily the barred ones. Like Peter, can we fall asleep? Why did Peter sleep? He knew who he was - a beloved son of God, he knew his church family was backing him up in prayer and more importantly, he knew he could not go anywhere anyway, because he was in chains and under Roman guard! Impulsive Peter, sensibly slept!

Story goes on to say that the Angel of the Lord appeared, the prison had light, chains fell off, Peter received detailed instructions ie wake up, wear your robe, put on your shoes etc and follow me - the Angel. Story continues to say, that they went past two guard posts, through an iron gate and outside and walked down one street.

You know what my take away is from this story? When I am in a prison - whether it is of my making or of someone else', I will ask my church family for prayer, stay calm and await God's deliverance, having done what I could sensibly have done! Imagine if Peter tried to pry his hands off the chains? Obviously he would have either woken up the Roman soldiers or cut his wrists !!

Next time if there is a prison, hopefully, we could stay calm. Ask for prayer and follow the leads and instructions we receive and of course, rest.

Father heart of God

I lost the book. It was written by Floyd McClung, a well known Christian author. Or may be I should look for it among a couple hundreds of books I have.
Book tells me a story about a Father who waited patiently for a vagabond son to return. It also tells the story of the son returning from the pig sty - O how smelly he would have been for a loving embrace of a father. That did not matter ,, did it? Father embraced the son and draped him with his finest garment. It never occurred  to the father that this was the son who threatened him, took his part of the inheritance and left the father's house. Where did all the money go? Wine, women and partying or hanging out, may be, if the son belonged to the era that we live in. The beauty of the story is not in the dirt that son wallowed in or even brought home. He would have definitely brought the piggish ordure in to a grand home, filled with treasure and finely kept. The beauty is in Father's forgiveness. No questions asked. No judgments meted out. No telling ' I told you so', with a finger wagging in the son's nose! Just pure and simple forgiveness and all encompassing love for a son gone astray but returned fully aware of the weight of his loss and sin.

The book that I lost talked about this. The Father heart of God that forgives. He forgave enough and loved enough to give His only Son, so that I may return home. So that I may come, the way I am. So that I may experience love and love alone. So that I may be well, complete and safe - back in the Father's house.