Relating Through the Security Chain

George was just your average, ordinary, everyday kind of guy. He lived in his house alone and
he kinda liked it that way. One day, he was sitting on his couch watching the game when he heard a
knock at the door. He opened the door as far as his shiny security chain allowed and was greeted by the kind face of a stranger.

“Can I help you?” George inquired of the kind looking stranger.

 “Actually,” the stranger replied with a smile.  “I am hoping to help you. I would very much like
to become a part of your life. I want to help you as you live by giving you a positive outlook with an
eternal context. Our relationship won't necessarily make life easy, but I guarantee that the joy I bring
into your home will make the troubles of life easier to cope with. I also offer you eternal holdings in
my Father's estate.”

George was taken aback and stood for a moment without offering any response at all.
“What exactly will this relationship cost me?” He inquired of the stranger with a voice thick with suspision.

“I merely need your invitation,” the stranger responded. “The cost of this relationship rests
primarily on my shoulders.”

“Oh,” George responded with some relief. “Then, by all means, consider yourself invited.”

George, happy with his decision, left the stranger at the door and returned to his place on the
couch.  He sat down and reached for the remote, pleased to be able to return to his afternoon activities
with no more delay. There was just one thing he failed to do. George never disengaged the security
chain. A few minutes went by before the stranger addressed George through the three inch gap between the door and the doorjamb allowed by the short, silver chain.

“George,” the stranger ventured.  “Aren't you going to let me in?”

“No,” George replied after some consideration.  “We can have a relationship just how things
are. I could let you in, but you might wanna rearrange the furniture or cook dinner. I kinda like my
furniture where it's at and I really enjoy hamburger helper. I'm a little worried about how my friends
will react to you anyway. For now, I just wanna leave things the way they are. If I want more, I can
always adjust later."

And that's exactly what happened. Every once in awhile when George had a problem he was
struggling with he would go to the door and speak to the stranger through the crack in the doorway.
Sometimes the stranger would answer sometimes he wouldn't. Either way George didn't really allow
that to affect the way he lived. George would often have people over. He always let them in the back
door so they wouldn't have to experience the awkward stranger on the front step. They would have a
good time but occasionally the stranger would ask to be introduced. George always declined.

When George's best friend passed away in a car accident, he walked over to the door and sat on
the floor. The stranger was able to reach through the crack in the door to comfort him. The stranger
offered to come in and take some of the load off by helping out around the house and giving him more emotional support. George said no thanks. And this was how life when on.

Occasionally, the stranger would offer advice but more often than not George would ignore him.
Sometimes, George asked for help or money. Every once in a while, the stranger would give it to him.
The strange relationship sometimes confused George and it always frustrated the stranger. However,
George was more or less comfortable with the arrangement and was hesitant to change it.

Eventually George got up in years to the point where he was no longer able to take care of
himself. George's friends and family came to move all his furniture and personal items out and he was eventually moved to a nursing home.

He was not pleased with the surroundings. He was frustrated with the wall color and the carpet.
He was frustrated with his neighbors and the caregivers. No matter what the situation offered, he was
always disappointed in it. But the one constant in his life was the stranger at the doorway. Only since
his door was unable to lock, the stranger merely kept his distance. George was pleased that at least he
maintained the status quo.

One day, George was shuffling down the hallway and came upon another resident. They passed
each other, but George stopped as he heard the other resident humming a cheerful tune. George turned towards the resident and shook his head.

  “What are you so happy about?” he inquired with more than a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Well,” the resident responded thoughtfully. “I guess I'm happy because I don't have a good
reason not to be.” She paused for a moment. “My name is Joyce, by the way.”

“Well I can think of a good reason,” George responded, his voice rising slightly in pitch and
intensity. “ How about being here? Aren't you mad about getting your freedom taken away and ending up in this dreary place? I mean, come on. Doesn't your room kinda bug you?”

“First off, my freedom wasn't taken from me,” Joyce began. “I gave up control of my life a long
time ago because I knew I couldn't handle it on my own. Second, I like it here. I don't think it's dreary
at all. In fact, I think it's rather pleasant. And my room is lovely.”

“Wow,” George sighed. “Have you ever heard of rose-colored glasses?”

“Yes,” Joyce responded through a smile. “But my positive outlook has much more to do with
the influences in my life than the color of my spectacles.”

There was a pause as George stood there expectantly and Joyce simply smiled. George rolled
his eyes and finally pressed for more of an explanation.

“Do you wanna expand on that a little bit?”

“I thought you'd never ask,” Joyce responded with a coy smile. ?It's been quite a few years ago
by now, but one day, this fella knocked on my door. I say door but that isn't really accurate. I was living in a refrigerator box at the time. He said, 'Hi Joyce, I want you to know that I care very deeply for you. I want to help you and fill your life with joy. All I need is an invitation.' I didn't know what to say so I just nodded and pointed to a space beside me. He gave me a big smile and shook his head. He gave me his hand and pulled me up out of the box. I didn't really have anything to lose. I gave him complete control and followed him wherever he led me.”

“Where did you go?” George pressed as she paused to catch her breath.

“First we went to a diner for lunch and coffee,” she replied. “Then he wanted me to introduce
him to all my friends. Eventually, he helped me land a job and find a studio apartment. I never had
much, but it was always enough and the joy he promised me was always there.”

“Where is he now?” George inquired as he glanced down the hallway.

“Oh, he's here with me,” Joyce responded excitedly. “Let me introduce you to him.”

Joyce gestured down the hall at an approaching man. He looked somewhat familiar to George,but he couldn't quite place him. The man walked up to George and stuck out his hand.

“Hi George,” the stranger addressed him with a knowing smile.

George just stood there holding the hand of the stranger in an awkwardly prolonged handshake.

“Wait,” Joyce interjected, confusion thick in her voice. “You two know each other?”

“Yes we do,” the stranger responded through a sad smile.  “Although George might not
recognize me since he's never actually seen more than three inches of me at a time. We had a
relationship for years, but it never reached its full potential because of the limitations caused by the
security chain.”

“What security chain?” Joyce inquired with unmasked confusion written across her face.

“You know,” George replied as he realized how he knew the stranger. “The chain on the front
door that you use if you only want the door to open a little bit.”

Joyce looked at George with even more confusion and asked, “Why didn't you take the chain
off the door?”

“I didn't want my life to change too much.” George responded somewhat awkwardly. “It was
nice to have him around, but I didn't want him taking over.”

“With him, there's no such thing as too much change.” Joyce explained as she shook her head
slightly.  “Only exactly the right amount of change.”

Joyce glanced at the clock on the hallway wall. A growling in her stomach confirmed her
suspicions and she turned to address the stranger.

“Look, it seems that you two have some things to discuss. Dinner is ready, so I'm going to head
that direction. I'll save you a seat.”

The stranger nodded and turned back to George.

“You were right about one thing, George,” he began. “I did want to change your life. I wanted to
rearrange your furniture. I wanted to take your couch and turn it away from the TV and towards that
picture window in your living room. I wanted you to see the beauty of the creation I made for you. I
wanted to cook for you. I wanted to take away those bland boxed meals you always insisted on eating
and replace them with the flavor of my provision. I know how to put a meal together. I wanted you to
introduce me to your friends so that we could all enjoy the kind of community that my Father desires
for his heirs. I wanted to enrich the friendships you already had. But you declined. I wanted to change
your life completely by bringing you the joys and blessings of a full relationship with me, but you said 'No thanks' because you didn't trust me.”

George hung his head slightly in disappointment. That disappointment didn't last long, however. It soonturned into accusation.

 “Well,” He snapped at the stranger. “I think we both know that the chain could have been
broken if you had tried hard enough. Maybe that relationship you talk about isn't as important as you'd like me to believe.”

“George,” the stranger responded with a voice thick with sadness but completely devoid of
anger or frustration. “I have never in my entire existence forced myself into anyone’s life. Everyone hasto trust me enough to let me all the way into their lives. If you missed out on the blessings of a full
relationship, that's completely on you. I was available all those years for when you were finally ready to let me in. You made the decision to leave me on the front step. You missed out on a lot of blessings in this life, but it's not over just yet. You still have some time to enjoy our relationship. You know where I am. Just call my name when you're ready.”

George nodded as the stranger turned to walk down the hall.

“Wait!” George exclaimed. The stranger stopped and turned back towards George. George
continued with no small amount f shame evident in the tone of his voice. “I don't remember what your name is.”

“My name is Jesus,” the Stranger responded with a sad smile.

I wish I could tell you that George opened his door completely to his faithful friend, but the
story hasn't ended yet. George left that conversation that day and still struggles for control over his life. He still has an inheritance waiting for him from the Stranger's family estate, but to this day, he is still missing out on the joy of the relationship because he never took the security chain off the door.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6