WIDE OPENWhen I was a young girl, riding the school bus too and from school was a big part of my day. Depending on my day at school, the ride was either long or really, really long.
I’m sure I was no different from any other little girl; you know the one where some days you were picked on at school. The only thing different was where I lived then, and still do today, most of my class mates were cousins and that hurt even more; being treated bad by family is a hard deal. Being made fun of for wearing hand-me-downs by the cousin they came from; or not being the same religion (there was them and us) or another reason was “we have enough for our club” ever heard that one? Dang kids are cruel. I guess that is why I played mostly with the boys, and I was good at baseball, kick ball, tag, red-rover or whatever the hot game of the week was.
But those days when I was the out-cast, for whatever reason, the bus ride home was the longest, but when I could see the trees around our place come into view, it was like I could finally breathe again, and the very best part wasn’t seeing my little dog Jeff running out to meet me, it was seeing my mom’s face, she was always there, looking out the window, either waiving like a goof, or silkying her hair or just smiling, it really didn’t matter for I was home and her arms were always-wide open.
Mom hardly missed a day for my 12 years of school and even on to college that she wasn’t always “there” waiting for me. Arms wide open.
I thought about that a lot when my girls were older and it was necessary for me to have a job to make ends meet.
When they were younger and I was at home, I was always waiting, and I could tell you some stories about my girls walking down the lane that would make you laugh till you cried.
I could tell by just the way they walked who had a good day, a bad day or who had to potty or what the deal was. I loved that part of my day.
I hoped that they were glad to see me; I hoped that just seeing my face made everything better. Just like my mom did for me.
Now, my girls know that I love music. I get hooked on a song and I just listen to it to death. Well, my “New Favorite Song” is called “Wide Open” by the group Newsong. It is an older song by a Christian group of all men.
I love the music but the words tear me up, it goes like this:
Heaven’s gates were closed
And there seemed to be no hope
For fallen man
We were prisoners of our sin
With no way to enter in
But God had a plan
The Father knew there had to be
A perfect sacrifice
So Jesus came, a cross was raised
And when He laid down his life
Wide Open, Wide Open
They nailed His arms wide open
After three days in a cold grave
The power of sin was broken
Now with outstretched arms
He welcomes in
Everyone who trusts in Him
His nail-scarred hands hold Heaven’s gates wide open
For so long my eyes were closed
I couldn’t see a way of hope
For someone like me
And in despair I cried
There’s got to be more to life
Lord, help me please
And the Father said
There had to be a perfect sacrifice
That’s why Jesus came, a cross was raised
And He laid down His life
Wide Open, Wide Open
They nailed His arms wide open
After three days in a cold grave
The power of sin was broken
Now with outstretched arms
He welcomes in
Everyone who trusts in Him
His nail-scarred hands hold Heaven’s gates wide open
For every weary heart that aches
For every dream this world will break
There’s a promise in its place
God has made a way
Wide Open, Wide Open
They nailed His arms wide open
After three days in a cold grave
The power of sin was broken
Now with outstretched arms
He welcomes in
Everyone who trusts in Him
His nail-scarred hands hold Heaven’s gates wide open
God loved us so much he gave his only son, to die on a cross at calvary.
Jesus suffered and I mean suffered, worse than we could ever imagine, not like on the school ground, or like trouble at home, or work or however satan attacks us, but I’m talking nails in the hands and feet, suffocating, side-piercing suffering, and knowing full well at anytime, he could summons 12 legions of angels to come to His rescue, He suffered for us. And even if it was just for me, He would do it all over again. He did all this so that when we are called home or He comes to bring us home, I know and find my peace in the fact that when I see the face of my King and He is holding open Heaven’s gates, all the bad days of being attacked, forsaken or just not measuring up will all be wiped away, because that is the time when I will see my Savior's smiling face and His arms will be Wide Open.
