Windows in the World!

Freed journalist Euna Lee, left, hugs her husband Michael Saldate and daughter Hannah, as Laura Ling embraces her husband Lain Clayton, right, after departing the plane that carried the two women back from captivity North Korea.





I balled this morning while watching live the homecoming of these 2 Americans. I cried like a baby at the emotional reuniting with there families who they have not seen in 140 days. 4 Months ago journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, crossed over into the hostile country of North Korea. They were captured and the North Korean government sentenced them to 12 years hard labor! This was devastating news for them, their families, and our country. Because North Korea is such a closed off country, these women had little contact with the outside world and did not know the global impact of this situation. They only had each other to cling to and hopes that somehow, someone would free them. Imagine the horror of at any moment, being lead into a hard labor camp, knowing you would spend over a decade there, away from your family, and for Euna, away from her 4 year old daughter.

You could not help but be moved by this homecoming as Laura and Euna embrace there families for the first time.

What moved me the most was Laura Ling's speech after they came off the plane. She said they spent 4 months not knowing what their outcome would be, not knowing if at any moment they would be taken to a hard labor camp, not knowing the persistence and determination the US government had to insure their release. The world was watching and these 2 women had no idea.

Laura said that about 30 hours ago, they were told they were going to a meeting. They thought this would be the beginning of there 12 year sentence. But when they walked thought the doors, standing there waiting for them was former President Bill Clinton! They said as soon as they saw him, they knew that they would be freed and they would get to go home and see their families again! 30 hours later, their plane touched down in the US and they were greeted by their families and other Americans across the country, including me, in my living room, sipping my morning coffee, balling!

While this is a wonderful story and outcome, I think the reason that it moved me so much was that it is a beautiful parallel between our total and helpless condemnation and the beauty of our Savior, standing there as the door opens, and us knowing at that moment that He has come to rescue us and set us free!!!! Now, I would never compare Bill Clinton to Jesus Christ. But in this scenario the picture can't be helped. Clinton flew over to North Korea to speak with their dictator, Kim Jung Il, and to bring these women home. Of course, Clinton did not lay down his own life for these women like Christ did for us, but the parallel is still there. It amazes me that even in the most secular scenarios, the message of the Gospel shines in the darkness. Us as humans LONG for this kind of story and redemption. It is programed into ever fiber of our beings. We are programed to yearn for this kind of ending, an ending that brings freedom, forgiveness, and homecoming. There is an Andrew Peterson song called Windows in the World. It speaks of windows in the world where God's goodness is getting through. Like how when we sit in a movie and even though we have seen it before, we still love to see the hero save the day! Peterson sings that this is God's goodness getting through. Like a portal or a glimpse of His Truth. And how all along the way our days are made with little moments of Truth.

I believe today the world saw a Window in the World of God's Truth. We saw a glimpse of God's rescue plan for us and how we all LONG for a story and ending like that. I balled as I watched Euna and Laura today, but I know I will fall on my face when I am brought to my REAL Home with my Savior, Jesus Christ!