And yet a door to another world still stands open to every moment. A door to a

better way. Which is to see your life, not as an achievement of your savvy and your

will, but as a gift. A gift from a loving God who doesn’t trick us into faithfulness or

force us into submission, because that’s not love. A gift from the God who woos us

with blessings that are given in spite of our selfish shrewdness, not as rewards.

Blessings given simply because it is the nature of love to bless. A door stands open.

But you won’t be tricked or shoved through it. Because it’s open to life in the realm

of gift and love. It will still cost you everything you’ve tricked this world out of thus

far. But could you send all of that to the far side of the river, and limp through the

door into another way of being alive?