While Leaving the Mall One Evening. . .

On a recent evening, my wife and I were exiting the mall with a Classic CinnaBon® (she talked me into it).  Out of nowhere came a loud and repetitive expression of an expletive that begins with the letter “F”.  She kept saying it over and over and over.  The volume and passion of her voice caught our attention.  “Who was she talking at?”  We looked her direction and behind her was a man repeatedly shouting just as loud, “You are not allowed back in the mall.”  Yes it was the security guard.  And she was walking into the mall.  His security measures were not working.  I am not sure it was an issue, but the woman was somewhat larger than he was. 

As we drove away from the incident (I did not volunteer my martial arts talents and experience for either side), I wondered, “What caused her to act like that?  Something exploded from her.  Why was such anger seething inside of her?”  Had she been abused as a child?  Or had she been spoiled?  Was her family incredibly rich?  Or were they impoverished? 
Call me psychic if you like, but I don’t think this encounter was an isolated event for her.  I imagine she uses that word and many other similar words regularly.  My words may sound judgmental, but that is not my intention.  She is a reminder of the broken world in which we live.  We all are broken.  Her display of brokenness was on display that evening whereas mine is not always in public view. 

When the Bible talks about salvation, it is more than rescuing people from hell.  Salvation is the offer of GOD to heal our inner wounds here and now.  He desires to radically change the thoughts and desires of our own hearts so that we can live free from the constraints of humanity – the constraints of pride, rebellion, fear, bitterness, lust and greed among others.  Those are the things that imprison us.  Those inner shackles hold us in bondage to a life that is much less than what GOD desires for us.  Our Creator desires immeasurably more for us and in us. 
And He can do immeasurably more even when all we can offer Him are lives that are imprisoned and broken.  His grace is not only sufficient to forgive, but to heal and liberate.