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King of Hearts by Wendy Stutzman

I wrote this about 2 years ago... for a time of no record and a future yet revealed... Enjoy!

Crested by a crown of thorns  I stood alone in His court.  Unborn yet condemned.  Like an entire race before me, I looked into my sentence.  Death.  Hell.  An eternity apart from a Creator I had as of yet, never met.  The stain of my uncommitted sin now upon my hands.  Outside of time I was destined to be born into a race of fallen men and by very reason of this birth I stood guilty as charged.  No intercessor appeared.  No advocate rose to defend. 

Face to the ground I stood before the Throne awaiting my judgment.  Silence.  It seemed as if my Judge awaited something or someone unseen.   And with eyes that seemed to penetrate every fiber of creation He waited still.  For what I could not ascertain.  Perhaps He waited for a word from me.  There were none.  Maybe He looked for a Justifier?  Although I could not comprehend an acquittal.  Alone I continued to stand while no mediator appeared and with tears in His eyes, My Creator’s sad countenance shone upon me as I listened and He pronounced my doom.  Guilty.  It was then, the words no more out of His mouth, that I heard the roar of a distant thunder and suddenly a Prince called Peace rushed into the room. 

My heart began to burn within me as I beheld Him.  Not daring to lift my face I saw only His feet as He ran toward the Throne.   And then came the voice.  The voice of the waves...the wind... the sky, the trees, and all encompassing sound that filled the very air I breathed and in turn filled my despondent soul.  ‘Please the Court,’ He said simply walking in my direction, ‘I would make an offering…’  His last words hung in the air, strangely finding their place above my head.  I hardly believed Him.  The beautiful Prince, crowned with an ornate garland ‘Grace and Glory,’  wanted to make an offering for me?

Thinking I was caught in some mistake I moved to take my place among the others in my line condemned before me.  Then I felt His touch on my arm… His fingers woven in mine.  He turned and with the softness of a child’s breath He lifted my face with His forefinger and I gazed into His eyes.  ‘Fear not,’ He said simply and the moment our gaze locked, my knees began to tremble and I felt myself beginning to fall under the power of Love that stood before me.

I had never felt such penetration.  His eyes possesed my being and I knew in an instant that I would belong to Him forever.  Love bound me so.  Momentarily He looked to the bench.   ‘Me for her.  Life for life...’  The words were no more out of His mouth when I noticed, with gaping surprise, that His hands, once fine and strong, began to bleed.  ‘No!’  I cried, wrapping my arms around Him, only to reel in shock as my hands felt a warm liquid flowing between my fingers.  ‘His back is bleeding!’  I cried sharply, not caring who heard.  He embraced me in return.  I clung to Him, giving Him my weakness, and in His blood I received His strength.  Suddenly the unthinkable happened.  A wound appeared on His side, and blood and water flowed.  ‘He will surely die,’  I said.   At last Love’s breath grew shallow upon my neck.  His last gift was to remove His shining garland and take on my ugly crown.  

Embraced by Peace, I now stood wearing His beloved crown and He my thorns.  He had indeed died and I stood covered in His sinless blood.   The Creator looked on this scene and locked in the embrace of His deceased Prince I stood even more helpless before Him.  For in the eyes that held mine, I had seen Love offer itself in my place and because He was dead, I knew His offering had been accepted and was thus promptly removed from the courtroom. 

In my soul, I  clung to Him still. My Savior, my Sacrifice, my Ransom, Love’s purest gift.  Strengthened by some new, unfamiliar force that I recognized as Comfort, I looked now upon His Father, My Creator., the newfound King of my Heart.  Tears of joy now shone in His eyes and I felt His song fill the air.  ‘You are free…’ and suddenly the room changed.  I looked around with awe as my eyes beheld wonders too great for mortal expression.  Beside a crystal sea we stood together, on a freshly cut path that led into an open, spacious meadow.   My arm tucked lightly in His, we began our ascent into light that no man can approach.  ‘...And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come…’   (Rev. 19:6-7) 

Upon hearing the last words, all despair vanished and my soul, released from mourning, was raptured in delight.  The Prince was alive!  Risen!  My Beloved was mine and I eternally His.   I could hardly contain my joy until at last we reached the end.  My King smiled knowingly and releasing my arm I walked solely where The Prince stood eagerly awaiting my arrival.  I looked into the eyes that had first awakened love and with love now perfected I now stood with an offering of my own.  I reached for my blood-bought ‘Grace and Glory,’ beloved gift of Peace, and there beside the crystal sea, in a valley of lilies, I laid my crown at His feet.

Vive le Roi ... Long live the King.