Good morning…
Men and women, black and white, younger and older, we unpack our mixed feelings in our therapeutic community group each Tuesday morning at PAWkids. Last week we were each deeply touched by a film clip from the 2017 movie Wonder.
“Why am I so ugly?” the tearful boy asks.
“Honey, listen. We all have marks on our face,” says actress Julia Roberts as she comforts her sad, anxious son. Touching her hand to her heart, she says, “This is the map that shows us where we are going.” Circling her face with her finger, she explains, “And this is the map that shows us where we have been. And it is never, ever ugly.”
As if he is sitting beside them on their bed, Jesus comforts his sad, anxious disciples before he leaves earth to return to his Father in heaven. “Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also. My Father’s house has many dwelling places. If it were otherwise, I would tell you plainly, because I go to prepare a place for you. And when everything is ready, I will come back and take you to myself so that you will be where I am. And you already know the way to the place where I’m going.”
Thomas said to him, “Master, we don’t know where you’re going, so how could we know the way there?”
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too” (John 14:1-6, TPT).
Comforted by the living Christ, now we begin to make peace with the scars from our past. As we deepen down into the soul of our heart, we are gently shown where we are going. Much like Julia’s character pours a mother’s love into her hurting son, Jesus pours his limitless love into our open hearts.
My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine! (Galatians 2:20, TPT).
In intimate union day after day, we very personally sense the Way, know the Truth, and freely live the Life of Christ.
…Sue…
