I rise before dawn and cry for
help;
I have put my hope in your word.*
Daniela
awoke with a start. That she was able to get any sleep at all was astounding to
her. All night long the King’s Enemies had kept up a constant barrage of
pounding. So much so that she thought she’d lose her mind. Of course that
hadn’t happened and she had actually gotten some rest. Now Daniela was filled
with nervous excitement.
Alvaro
was making breakfast when Daniela came downstairs. “Good morning, Daniela. How
did you sleep?” He asked. “I actually slept pretty well,” Daniela said,
allowing herself a smile. “That pounding never seemed to stop.” “Oh that? Don’t
pay them any mind,” Alvaro smiled back. “They know they aren’t allowed to hurt
you now. You have a prayer covering over you.” Daniela didn’t really know what
that meant but she knew it was good so she didn’t pursue it. She figured there
was plenty she didn’t know and that she would learn it eventually. “My dear, it
is time to eat,” Alvaro broke into her thoughts, “you have an appointment with
the King today!” Daniela allowed herself to feel good about that. She had a
little hope now that everything would work out for her.
After
breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Alvaro smiled, “Daniela, my dear
could you answer the door please?” Daniela wasn’t sure. What about the Enemies?
Surely they were prowling around waiting for their opportunity to destroy her.
She looked at Alvaro. “It’s ok, dear,” he said. Daniela summoned all of her
courage and opened the door. There before her stood the King! He was
magnificent, resplendent in majesty and goodness. Daniela was so shocked, she
gasped. “What are you doing here? I thought I would have to search for you – or
make an appointment – or meet with you in a castle – or, or something!” her
words spilled out in a rush. Alvaro took over, “Oh, my King, please come in!
You see, Daniela, the King comes to meet you where you are. There is no big
journey or palatial castle. It’s just you and the King.” Daniela looked over at
the King, “Oh, I’m sorry! Please sit down, Sir!” Now it was the King’s turn to
speak, “Daniela,” He said. He turned His eyes upon her with such a look of pure
Love. In that instant, from one moment to the next, Daniela knew. She just knew
that the King loved her.
No one in
her life had ever loved Daniela. Not in the real sense. She had never been
touched by a loving hand in her life. In fact from the time Daniela had been
very young until right now, most of the people in her life had been mean,
hate-filled people. No one cared for her and if the truth were to be told here
and now, she didn’t care for anyone else either. She always looked out for
herself even though she couldn’t even say that she really liked who she was. She
would always tell people she didn’t believe in love. It was something fake that
was made up to sell Valentine’s Day cards. But now – now she knew love was real
and not only that, Someone really loved her.
She felt comfortable in His presence. How could this be? With that thought,
Daniela crumbled. She tried to be tough but it was impossible. She fell at the
feet of the King. “Oh, King, how?” she cried. “How can you love someone like
me? I have done such awful things. I have lived so far away from You. I don’t
deserve to be loved.” Daniela was inconsolable. She was sure the King would put
her outside with all of the Enemies. If she was honest, that is where she
belonged. All she wanted though was to be with the King and that pure, deep,
accepting Love. She was sure He would send her away from that Love and give it
to someone else who deserved it more.
Alvaro
reached down and touched Daniela, “Sweet Daniela, I’d like you to meet
someone.” Daniela looked up, startled that there was anyone else in the room.
She had been so caught up in the contrast between the Love and her sin that she
hadn’t even noticed the young man in the kitchen. “Daniela, this is the Prince.
His name is Jesus.” Daniela tried to dry her eyes and sit up and be respectable
but it was impossible. The tears wouldn’t stop. “That’s ok,” the Prince said,
“I will come to you.” As the Prince came over and stooped to her level, Daniela
noticed he was wounded. He had a huge scar on his side and also scars on his
hands. Alvaro spoke again, “Daniela, no one is good enough to be one of the
King’s servants. That is why He offered His perfect Son. Jesus was offered as a
sacrifice for all of our mistakes and sins. Everything that has been done in
the name of Sin was paid for by Jesus. We deserve to die but he died in our
place and rose from the dead.” Daniela didn’t really understand but Alvaro
continued anyway, “Because of the sacrifice of the
Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free
people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And
not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything,
provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he
took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a
long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in
him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.** Daniela
was stunned. She didn’t know what to say. Could it really be as Alvaro said? Seriously,
who would do that?
Jesus
reached out his hands, “Daniela, look.” As Daniela’s eyes looked into the deep
holes in the scarred hands, she knew every word was true. She realized just
what He had done. He had willingly given His life for her. She didn’t even know
Him! Yet He had done it and He still had the wounds. And now, as He looked at
her, here was the same Love again. This time it came from Jesus. Daniela
understood how much the Prince loved her. He had allowed men to beat him
unrecognizable and take his clothes and nail him on boards and raise him high
so all could laugh and watch him die in that shameful position. It was because
of people like her – people who didn’t deserve any kind of breaks or compassion.
She was the one who had caused his death. Suddenly Daniela felt deep regret. It
pained her greatly, this knowledge of what she had allowed to happen. “Oh,
Prince,” she choked on her tears. “What have I done?” she sobbed. “I am in
great need of forgiveness! Can it ever be done?” The Sovereign Prince, Jesus
looked at Daniela with compassion and said, “My love for you is never-ending.
Your sins are forgiven. I have forgotten the past. Go and sin no more.” Daniela
could never describe fully what happened next. So many emotions left her while
new ones came and filled her. She wasn’t sure why but she knew that she would
never be the same. She knew things that she hadn’t known a moment before. She
knew the Love of the Father and His Son. She knew that she was forgiven even
though there was no logical reason that she should be. And she felt joy. Oh
such joy that she had never known! She was actually one of the King’s servants
now. It was unbelievable to her.
We don’t have to search for the King and His Son. They are always
ready to come to us. They will meet us where we are and accept us for who we
are. It is only when we come near to them though that we gain the desire to be
forgiven and to be pure as they are pure.
* Psalm
119:147 (NIV)
** Ephesians 1: 7-10 (The Message)
Copyright 2008. Stories of The King. All rights reserved.