By Noelle Gaffka, mission development minister

I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I found myself pacing back-and-forth at the entrance of what some considered hallowed ground. I wrestled with the idea of whether I would be accepted, should I be brave enough to cross the threshold. I argued with myself if I could do it. I even poked fun with internal jokes of how silly I was. Five steps were all that were needed to walk through the entrance. Yet each time I put a foot before the other, it took me in the opposite direction. Could I walk through the gate?

In John 10, Jesus uses the imagery of a gate in a pasture to symbolize the kingdom of heaven and the acceptance of discipleship. What is prominent in this teaching is one’s agency to enter through the gate into the pasture. What we don’t see is imagery of those being forced. It is an offer left open for one to make the first move. It is an offer of a life that is abundant.

Sometimes we struggle with what an abundant life looks like for us. Sometimes we wrestle with our sense of worth and walk away from the gate as we tell ourselves we don’t belong on the other side. Other times, we might think we are doing just fine as we are. With those thoughts, we become the thief who robs ourselves of opportunities for wholeness and renewed purpose. An abundant life is one that reminds us of who we are and of our extreme worth. It is one that affirms that all are called.

I eventually found the courage to enter through the gate and to walk upon the hallowed ground. It did not happen that first day, but I returned a few days later to try again. The gate remained open, and the pasture remained lush and green. The first few steps I took felt as though I was trespassing, but the further I walked the more I knew I was where I belonged. We have the gift to make decisions for our lives. Will we allow ourselves to walk through the gate and to live an abundant life?

Prayer Phrase

“See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Weaving a Life

Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads, mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.