love&hope

I am so young. It is so foolish for me to become so hardened and so jaded when there is a whole life filled with new experiences laying in front of me. There is always hope and redemption. Love is real. Love is possible. Love is holding this entire fragile little universe together -- it is the tender, gentle, unbreakable strong force comforting the cryer and spurring the fighter. Love will carry us through. 
It is so freeing to be able to let go of pain -- the need for "justice" -- and be free. Pain, anger and fear will only result in a metal box of sorts to be built around my heart. But when I can come to terms with my pain and choose hope, the box will shatter. The chains will fall off and I will be free. 
It is most certainly a fight and a battle to give of yourself. To open your heart and let yourself feel. But it is how we were made -- we were made to feel, hurt, cry, love, burst... we were made to feel all of these various things and be free and not be locked within a self-made box. 
Have hope. Choose love. Be free.

"My Father and I will come and make our home with him. Let your door stand open to receive him, unlock your soul to him, offer him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light that shines on every man. This true light shines on all, but if anyone closes his window he will deprive himself of eternal light. If you shut the door of your mind, you shut out Christ. Though he can enter, he does not want to force his way in rudely, or compel us to admit him against our will.

Born of a virgin, he came forth from the womb as the light of the whole world in order to shine on all men. His light is received by those who long for the splendor of perpetual light that night can never destroy. The sun of our daily experience is succeeded by the darkness of night, but the sun of holiness never sets, because wisdom cannot give place to evil.

Blessed then is the man at whose door Christ stands and knocks. Our door is faith; if it is strong enough, the whole house is safe. This is the door by which Christ enters. So the Church says in the Song of Songs: The voice of my brother is at the door. Hear his knock, listen to him asking to enter: Open to me, my sister, my betrothed, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is covered with dew, and my hair with the moisture of the night."

--- St. Ambrose