Thank you Mr. President**

Imagine yourself standing on the sidewalk in front of the White House. You have come here to share some of your ideas with the big man, the President of the United States of America. You want to talk to him about a possible tax cut for the middle class; you want to talk to him about the tuition at your son’s school; and world peace would be nice as well. And you even brought along some cookies that he can share with the first lady!

So you’re off. You head towards the security gate and announce to the guard, “I’d like to see the President.” He looks at you and says, “Right, and I’d like to fly Air Force One, but I’d say neither one of those things are going to happen. Beat it dork!”

You turn away, disappointed. You had made it so close. You didn’t even get to give him your cookies. But, there were too many barriers. Barriers of time, the president is too busy. Barriers of status, you are a nobody. You would have had to get through the Secret Service, and by some odd chance that you could have done that, the President’s staff would have stopped you. There was no hope.

That is, unless the President took the initiative. Unless he sees you walking away disappointed and devastated that he asks his chief of staff, “See that person with the sack of cookies? Go tell him that I would like to talk to him.” If he were to say that, then instantly all of the barriers drop and you are welcomed right in to the comfy chair in the oval office! Everything is the same, the gates, the guards, the staff, but the situation is not the same. You feel special. Why? Because he saw you from up there and made it possible for you to come inside.

Ephesians 2:13 says; 

"Now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near.”

We can’t even get in to see the President, but we are granted an audience with God? How can that be? What happened? Someone tore all of the barriers down. Hebrews 10:19-20 says, “So, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place without fear because the blood of Jesus’ death. We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus opened for us. It leads through the curtain—Christ’s body.”

Through Christ’s blood on the cross, all of the barriers between God and us are torn down. We are made to feel special. Not because of anything we have done, but because He saw us from up there and called us into His presence. His love for us and desire for us to communicate one-on-one with Him caused Him to take on human form and die for us. Now you are welcome in God’s presence. And you don’t even have to bring cookies.

**I wish I could take credit for all of the above, but I believe much of the idea behind it came from Max Lucado.

Photo Credit: www.whitehouse.gov