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Today marked
the installation of the the new gate for the property in Vlashaj. This may
seem like a simple event except for the fact that days of planning had gone
into this project. First, we had to select the type of gate we wanted to
purchase. Then we had to prepare the wall to be ready to hold the gate
in place (the old wall couldn’t be demolished too far in advance lest the
property stand unprotected). You see, the gate is the first guard of
protection from any intruder or curious onlooker (mainly the neighbor). But
even more than protection of property or privacy, one's gate selection tells
the entire village what your character is like. Do you want visitors to
stop by or do you want isolation from the outside world? Do you want a gate
that cosmetically resembles others' in the village or are you an odd
duck? Now perhaps you can begin to understand why a gate represents
many things to a villager.
It is amazing
to us (as people who can probably count on one hand the number of frontyard
gates in our hometown) to consider what a gate may represent. For most of
us, it's just a simple piece of yard decoration. But even the Bible refers
to actual gates and their functions. Certainly we recall the passage in
Matthew 16 where Christ states that the gates of hell will not prevail
against His church. We also know of the oft-referred to “gates of heaven”.
My favorite reference to a “gate” specifies that Jesus will enter through
the East Gate of Jerusalem.
Not meaning to compare
our village gate to any of these Biblical examples, it is nevertheless
important to consider one thing: that the events which will take place
inside or outside of this particular new gate may determine through
which gate its visitors will enter eternity.
Thanks for your prayers and
support for the ministry of Planters Seed Foundation here in Albania, and
all the precious individuals who pass through "our gate." -- Sarah
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