Getting past the gate

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“This is the finest measure of thanksgiving: a thankfulness, which

springs from love.”

-- WILLIAM C. SKEATH

I love the brisk clear mornings of fall. I love the way God

changes the colorful leaves of trees and other decorations of nature,

and I enjoy the ways people decorate their homes to reflect the

season. We may not have extreme changes of seasons here in Southern

California, but we do have changes that I find refreshing.

I often start my morning walks up the same hill, and was recently

surprised to hear something I hadn’t heard before. I was approaching

a gated neighborhood when I heard a recording say, “Invalid entry,

please try again.”

I then came near the entrance and saw a man leaning out the window

of his bright blue truck and punching a combination of letters or

numbers into a key pad, and again I heard the voice say, “Invalid

entry, please try again.” The man looked around for something in his

truck for a few seconds, then reached out his window and tried again.

I heard the same message.

This time the man held up a pad of paper that he looked at while

he again pushed something. I watched as the gate began to open, and

the man put both arms up as if cheering and he slowly drove through

the gate. I thought to myself that the truck driver would know the

valid entry the next time he visited the neighborhood.

I continued up the hill on my walk and had a sense that there was

a lesson for me to learn from what I’d seen transpire. It seemed as

if God had me witness the scene at just the right time for my

relationship with him.

Then I remembered the Psalm containing the phrase: “Enter his

gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.”

Though I believe that God is eager to hear anything from us, I’m

sure that he especially enjoys hearing our appreciation. I certainly

enjoy compliments more than complaints, and we have the world to

compliment and thank God for, so I began thanking him.

I started by thanking God for his incredible love, faithfulness

and forgiveness. My list also included specific examples and

situations. Some might have seemed more significant than others, but

all were important to me and therefore, I trust, important to God.

I’ve always loved hearing anything and everything that our daughters

are thinking or feeling, and I think that our heavenly parent is even

more interested and understanding of his children.

The more thankful I became, the more peaceful I became inside. By

the time I walked home, I’d forgotten my worries and was ready for

the work ahead of me. I think that on that particular walk last week,

and in light of Thanksgiving coming this Thursday, that God was

trying to communicate to me that one of the best ways into his

presence is to begin by thanking him. Thankfulness is the password

that opens the right gates.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.