Heartstring Reflections By Laurita McKercher

Imprisoned by the Past


Her past life had brought her to this place. She hung her head as she sat in her cell as if to say, “I wish it had never come to this. I wish things had been different. If only I had lived life a little differently. If only I had been content to stay where I was. If only…” She never verbalized her thoughts. She simply sat with eyes looking pathetically up to the ones who could set her free from the prison where she now found herself.
What makes this story unique is that my family was the source of her hope. We had come to her “prison” to make a choice. We had walked past all the new puppies with cute little faces and wagging tails. Something, however, had drawn us to that long narrow row of cells in the back identified by a sign above the door that said simply “Big Dogs”.
It was an interesting place really. As we walked through the row of kennels, we observed a variety of different responses. Some inmates were barking defiantly, others huddled in a corner, others oblivious to the world around them sleeping soundly, and a couple like Spot and our Zoe looked with eyes, saddened by an unspoken knowledge of the world, through the bars as though they knew that there was not much time left to be chosen.
The minute we opened the door, her eyes lit up with hope. She seemed to recognize that this was her last chance. Her tail came to life, she grinned a happy doggie grin, gave us a lick of unconditional love and we were smitten. Totally and completely. We had no care for what her past had been; we only wanted to make her future better by making her a part of our family. Within half an hour, we had chosen and adopted our new friend and family member. Her name was changed from Sheila to Zoe, and as we drove away with her in the back seat, we noticed that her whole countenance had changed. No longer was she sad and hopeless, but now she sat in the middle of the back seat with confidence as though she knew that this was her destiny. This was where she belonged. Her old life was dead and a new one waited to greet her each morning. She could not reign in the joy as her excitement engulfed her from nose to tail. We still think of Spot, who also stole our hearts with her pathetic eyes and her head hanging as we left her behind. We prayed that night that she, too, would find a new home.
The world is full of Spots and Zoes, imprisoned by a past life of sin. They face each day knowing that the time is drawing near when choices will be taken away and only the prison will remain. What a joy it is for those find a Savior who unlocks the cell and offers a new life. He changes our name to daughter or son of God. Jesus can look through the prison bars, see beyond the sorrow, recognize a repentant heart, and without judging the past, he promises a new future. He gives us a new name and adopts us into his Father’s family. He sets us free to make things right and he offers us new life. The old life is dead and controls us no longer. The relationship with the past is broken so that the relationship with the future can begin. Sin no longer controls us. Romans 6:2 says, “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Paul describes this death as a dying of the old self so that the new can live in Christ. In Romans 7:6, he tells us, “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”
That does not mean that we will never be drawn to the old ways. Zoe still has her moments when the fields behind us look better than the kennel we offer. She still strains at her leash and sometimes refuses to listen to our commands. When we took her to the vet to be spayed she had no way of understanding why we would allow someone to hurt her, but she still manages to come back and demonstrate her own kind of love. She is beginning to learn that even though life with us seems filled with restrictions, those restrictions have been placed there to help guide her and keep her safe. She has felt our love and I believe she knows that she is home.
As Christians, we often live the same way. There are moments when we think that other fields are greener than those that God has given us. We strain at our leash, we rebel against his commands, we ignore him, and we may even nip at him sometimes. We do not understand why he would allow certain things to come into our lives and it is at those times that the temptation to rebel is hard to fight. Paul said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15 NIV) Eventually, like Zoe, the choice comes for us as well. We can choose to stay with the One who has demonstrated that he loves us, or we can turn away and leave. We must decide, are we better off with or without him? For the true Christian, there really is no choice for we can see what life in the world is really like. A life without Christ is no life at all, only a desolate prison of doom.
Do you remember the time that Jesus came and chose you to be free? Can you remember what it was like when that prison door opened and you saw a glimpse of eternal hope? Have you felt his arms holding you and loving you even when you could not understand the whys and the hows? God’s word is full of promises for you because you were chosen for and adopted by him. He loves you so much that he did everything he could to set you free. He did it while you were still enslaved by sin. He can take you from that prison, make you feel protected and cared for, and he can give you a confidence that only comes from knowing he is your Savior. Today Zoe ran to my arms, jumped up and gave me a big slobbery doggie kiss to let me know that she loves me, too. Maybe we should learn from her example and run, jump, and love our way into Jesus’ arms today and thank him for making us his. What do you think?
Challenge Questions:
1. Describe the time that you knew Jesus could set you free? How did it happen and how
did it make you feel?



2. Have your feelings toward him changed? For the good or worse? Why?



3. Have you knowingly and defiantly rebelled against his law this week? What steps will
you take to correct that rebellion.



4. Take a moment to ponder where you were before your relationship with Christ. Spend
time in prayer thanking him for all that he has done for you.