The Ticket Giver. Majestic Mountain View, part 4

So many among us are not satisfied by what we have or who we are; and as life goes on, we never seem to reach that satisfaction. Even the elderly struggle with this. I remember when my grandpa from my father's side looked in a mirror and declared out loud in Flemish: "Lelijke kletsen kop!" Which basically translates to: "Ugly baldhead!" He certainly didn't like himself very much, but for a young kid hearing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. Still, it is quite sad when we can never feel completely satisfied with who we are.

One of my cousins made me laugh hysterically when he told us about the day he approached a lady who was handing out parking tickets. He asked her if she enjoyed her job.

Shocked, she looked at him and said unenthusiastically: "It's just my job!"

His response? "Those in Auschwitz also said it was just their job, and look all the pain they inflicted."

I am certain that after this conversation, she tried to find his car!

Still, how many among us really enjoy our jobs?

It's true that we have all missed the mark. We have all sinned. It doesn't matter if it is just a little bit or a lot. We all have missed the mark of what we could have become. We are left wanting.

There are those, however, who realized that they are bathing in glory, not through their own efforts, but through the One who willingly sacrificed Himself on a cross so that we could become complete. "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2Cor 3:18, NIV2)

Imagine being transformed into His image. It's real, but too often it is a long process, where our Father becomes, over time, so much more real to us than our personal adversities. With Him at the helm, we have nothing to fear, and through Him, we can feel completely satisfied. How could it be otherwise? His love surrounds us. His presence fills us with peace.

What about our many mistakes in life?

This is what Jesus declares to those whose reality is in Him: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Rom 8:1, NIV2) No condemnation! God loves us for who we are. If He accepts us fully, why should we doubt Him and complain that we are "Lelijke kletsen koppen!" Or that "I am doing just my job!" We are completely accepted by our Heavenly Father, so much that Jesus declares that we are his brothers and sisters: "Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." (Heb 2:11, NIV2)

If Jesus is not ashamed of us, why should we be ashamed of ourselves? We are fully accepted as sons and daughters of the Most High. We couldn't be in a better place.

"Who would like a traffic ticket today? I am giving them free for once!"

Rob Chaffart

The Ticket Giver. Majestic Mountain View, part 4

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