"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
-- Isaiah 64:6

Blood

I am wretched. I am guilty. I am filled with shame at my filthy state. And I have no excuse.

I bow my head in silence, and hopelessness fills me. Life is a mockery. Life is futile. What purpose lies in it all? What lies in store for me but the grave? I am, after all, but a rock.

I close my eyes and see nothing but black. Despair. Death. The hot tears burn my face, burn my eyes, burning, burning, in expectation of what is to come.

Then suddenly, I see blood. Agonizingly painful blood. It is gathering in a pool at my feet. It is running down splintered wood. As I lift my eyes I find the source. Drip. Drip. Drip. I stand back, horrified at the sight. Torn flesh is colored red, as more blood comes. And more. And more. Will it never stop? Then I raise my eyes even further. They meet the eyes of a man. They are in agony. Tears are burning His eyes, mingling with the blood that comes, ever comes. Drip. Drip. Drip. Innocent. I feel it in my soul. He is bleeding, but He is innocent. My shame is overwhelming. I start to tremble and sway. I fall to my knees. "Lord, have mercy!" I cry, face to the ground. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Suddenly, light. I dare to raise my face. He is there. He. He reaches out to lift me. But I turn away. I see the scars on His hands, and I remember. I cannot touch Him. He is too beautiful, and I too wretched. He kneels and lifts my chin. He looks into my eyes. Love. Such love. Then He lifts me. He smiles at me.

Then I am here. I look for Him. He is not there. But then I feel His touch again. Hope floods my heart, and I touch my face. The tears are gone. Despair has fled. The black is white. I see the sky. I see the blue. It no longer mocks me. Death no longer exists. I feel a hand take mine. I feel the imprints of nails in His palm. I look at Him in agony. I have done this. I fear His wrath. But I see love. My Savior. My Lord.

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
-- Hebrews 9:22

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