I found myself within a room and began to look around me, everywhere I looked there were shiny gift boxes, tied with huge satin ribbons in every conceivable colour. For a moment I just marveled at the absolute beauty of the boxes, the perfect way in which they were all wrapped. Then I noticed a card attached to each gift, they had my name on them – every single gift was for me. Oh, the excitement! The anticipation! Who had gone to all this trouble to give me all these perfect presents, to wrap each one so thoughtfully, for me?
But they were so beautifully put together. Perhaps I should just take them home and put them on my mantlepiece, they would look so lovely there on display. It would be such a pity to ruin them. Well, maybe I’ll open just one…
I picked up the gift wrapped in iridescent pink, my favourite colour, the bow sparkled with gold and silver catching the light and sending out rainbows. Carefully, slowly, I began to unwrap it, almost a little fearful – what if I don’t like it? I reached into the box and drew out the gift… 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏! 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏! I am chosen. Before the foundation of the world. Me? Chosen? How can that be? Me? I felt the word well up within me, exploding in joyous colours – 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏! I am chosen by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tears began to pour down my cheeks as I felt the love of the Father lavished upon me and the word 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏 echoed all around me, bouncing off the walls and into my heart.
Silence. All was quiet again as I hugged this precious gift to my chest tears drying on my face. I looked around and there were still so many gifts waiting, waiting for me, with my name on them. How could I possibly have ever thought of NOT opening them!
I ran over to the pale blue gift, ripped off the bow, exuberantly throwing it aside. Knowing that my Father would only give me good gifts. 𝑨𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅! I stopped and allowed it to sink right in, way down to the depths of my soul – Adopted according to His good pleasure. He was pleased to adopt me. To bring me to Himself. He said it was a pleasure. A delight. 𝑨𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅! I’m Adopted!
I literally danced over to the next gift, joy filling me to the brim – 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏, Adopted, by the Father! How did I ever get so blessed? Tearing off the wrapping and throwing it aside… 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅! This one almost blew my mind, my knees grew weak, and I sank to the floor. A deep groaning came from within me, and I began to sob. 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, I had always wanted to be accepted. Accepted in the Beloved. Oh, His grace! I was undone. How long I lay there for I’ll never know, laying in a deep blue pool of his acceptance, waves washing over me that whispered 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅. A deep, deep pool of His unfathomable love and grace.
After what seemed like hours I staggered to my feet and looked around me. Gifts, more gifts, what seemed to be a never-ending panorama of His gifts to me. Should I open another? I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏, 𝑨𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 resonated inside me. “I’ll just open a small one,” I thought – reaching out for the little silver box. I lifted the lid and peered in – 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅! It felt as if I was breaking, my very soul began to shatter. 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 – it whispered so loud! In Him we have redemption. I sat on the floor and pulled my knees to my chest, questions whirling around in my head. How is that possible? I am redeemed. But you don’t know what I’ve done, who I am! “𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅!” whispered the loudness. I bowed my head and listened “𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅.” “You are 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏, 𝑨𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅!” I felt a crystal shower of words flowing all over me, speaking redemption into my being. 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅.
“Open just one more,” said the voice. I couldn’t move but there was a red box within my reach adorned with a liquid red bow. I pulled it onto my lap and opened it. The room went red… liquid red, shimmering red, red all over my knees, my hands, my heart, dripping, flowing. 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏! The word leapt out at me, ungluing me, my bones turned liquid. 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏! Red blood flowing all over me, the rich, red blood of my Saviour, my Redeemer, my Jesus. “𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏,” said the blood, “𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏,” sang the blood, “𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏!” shouted the blood. As I soaked in the wonder, the beauty of my latest gift, everything began to turn white… White as snow, so white it glistened, so white it hurt my eyes. I looked at my hand, my body, my heart, my soul – white, forgiven, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
I was exhausted, but so full, I felt so rich, amazed at the gifts the Father had poured out upon me in huge bucketsful of love! Clean, so clean. New, so new. He has made me new. Tears of gratitude once again began to pour down my face. 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏, 𝑨𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅, 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏!
Flowers began to grow in front of me, millions of sunflowers, roses, lily of the valley and a fragrance so sweet and indescribable filled the air. I looked and saw a road before me and heard the Father speak, “Now go, go and tell the others to open their gifts, not to put them on the mantlepiece for decoration or to look pretty, tell them to tear off the wrapping and see the beauty and wonder of the gifts I have given them!”
𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝘄𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀? 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!
Claire's Prayer 