This early post from Distinct Impressions is a bit more cryptic than most of my work. I remember writing it, but I can’t for the life of me remember why I wrote it. I hope The Keyhole speaks to you.
Photo Credit: Megathy on StockImagine
I have stared through the keyhole of the door to hell.
And, just as a frightened traveler might gingerly touch his hotel door to determine if there was fire on the other side, I have reached out to test the temperature of the portal leading to Purgatory.
Perhaps it’s a reaction born of curiosity. Or maybe it’s because my human nature requires that I find absolute boundaries. I guess that’s why I’m the first person at the table to touch the plate at the Mexican food restaurant. Yes, I did hear our server say that the plates are hot.
The fascination with the forbidden can be addicting. Good sense and rational thinking tells me to move away from the door. Yet, I am drawn there to peer through that keyhole.
Do I love God any less because of this attraction? No, I really don’t.
Do I feel separated from him when I stand at the door? Yes, I really do.
So then, really, why do I choose to bend down and eavesdrop on Satan? Why do I risk being swept inside should the door swing open suddenly?
Because I have not chosen to do otherwise.
It is a matter of choice.
It is a matter of choosing between a view of the world that is narrow and dark and painted with pain and suffering and a view of the universe that is wide and clear and where good glows so warmly that the shadows of evil pale.
How can I move away from the keyhole, its limited outlook, and its immediate proximity to doom?
By blocking the opening with the key that God gave me. Jesus is not only my mediator and high priest with God, He is my shield and rescuer from evil and temptation.
And once the key is in place, I must allow Him to lock the door. All of this time, I thought that the door and the keyhole was provided by Satan as an entry to hell. On closer examination, I find that the door was of God’s craftsmanship and the keyhole is my heart. God has given me the means and the strength to bind that awful door forever.
With my life thus secured, I can turn away from the keyhole to enjoy the panorama of beauty God has given. Still, I do have one fear — that I will return to the door tomorrow to test the heat on the other side and perhaps to jiggle the key.
Dear God, give me strength. And thanks for the key.