Happy Easter! How are you each doing? I know this is a scary, overwhelming time for each of us. We have worries of health, finances, safe in place at home or showing up to work everyday. With what is going on in our world we feel like we shouldn’t celebrate. Today of all days we should. It feels like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders while keeping our lungs healthy and a roof over our heads. We are sad we can’t gather with our family and friends and go to church with a new dress or smart looking tie. No egg hunts, no family pictures. So many things we are focusing on what we can’t do.
Let’s think about this day through another line of vision. Think about watching your son be the ultimate sacrifice, pierced for our transgressions before we even took our first breath. To die a death like no other in front of your very eyes. To see him wrapped with herbs and the burial cloth. Fastforward to Easter morning. The stone rolls away and even death cannot hold back God’s mighty hand. The world felt bleak before that morning, and we all know the feeling of loss. Peter’s denial, Judas betrayal and his own death, Mary’s heart torn that her son would no longer be held in her arms. Little did they each really know that Jesus defeated the grave so that we could have that hope and to be able to hold Him in our hearts everyday. They heard His parables and teachings and knew what He said. To see it come to fruition is beyond comprehension. Wow, don’t we feel miniscule in our worries and stresses? No matter what we face we have hope! We have the Son to shine on us during the storms of life.
So yes, this holiday will be different than any other year. We will gather around tables with just those under our roofs. We won’t have a church service to rush to, or fuss over our outfits and make up. The Easter bunny may not have the fanfare of years past. But maybe instead of thinking of all of the things we can’t do, perhaps we think on what we have and be thankful for who we have in our lives. Maybe this year is a lesson of less “stuff” and more heart. Less trappings of this life and more freedom. I know we don’t feel free as the majority of us are staying in place due to Covid 19. But we are free. We are free to choose. To choose to love, to care, to treat others the way we want to be treated. Free to follow Jesus, free to love others. We have so many choices we are free to make. It is up to us the path we choose. He chose a path that ended in such excrutiating pain, a path that made a way for us to join Him one day. This isn’t an easy road we travel. There are trials and tribulations and we sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. Maybe this moment in time will help us see that bigger picture.
I am guilty of losing sight. I get impatient, feelings hurt, misinterpretation of intent, feelings of not being worthy, insecurities abound at times, worries for the future. Maybe some of you know these feelings to. I feel sometimes my faith is weak. I feel that I let Him down on a daily basis. I am far from a perfect christian. I compare myself to those in my life that seem to be a better christian than myself. Be it family or friend. Sometimes people bypass a religion based conversation with me in favor of someone else they feel is more spiritual and less silly. I have said to my mom before that I am the black sheep of the family. Divorced mom with two kids, who likes a cold beer or glass of wine, may say a swear word or two and well, I am a hopeless romantic and love the kiss from a man. And there are times the devil has been hard on my back and makes me feel that I am that black sheep in comparison. I have gotten away from church but not necessarily my relationship with Him. I may post on social media stuff that is silly and sometimes racy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love Jesus. I think I judge myself harder than anyone else has a chance to do. How about you? All of this is to say that today of all days we should sing praises, have hope and to know that we are worthy. We may not meet the standards of this world or other peoples opinions on how we are perceived, but does this world’s opinion really matter? His opinion does. Just stop and think He knew our names before we took our first breath, our name in the book of life once we ask Jesus to be in ours. Maybe this Easter is meant to be this way. Maybe it is to strip away this crazy life and have us stop and get down to the business of the heart.
I will miss going to my mom’s and seeing her and my sister. I will miss seeing my dad sitting at the table teasing my kids as he is sitting at a heavenly table this year. I see my kids as the young adults they are and remember holidays of years before of jello easter eggs and easter baskets. I remember church services and family pictures after we ate dinner at my parents house. I will miss those things but keep each memory so close to my heart. But maybe this year is a chance to reflect on the blessings we have and let the Son shine on us during this uncertain time in life. Today is supposed to be stormy and rainy here. But that is happening on the outside. Maybe we let the storm on the inside of our minds and hearts be like we are riding in that boat with Jesus. That we be thankful He calms the storms of life, that He rose on that third day so that we may someday reside in His house. Maybe we forgive ourselves and others and try to extend patience to others as He extends His patience to us. That maybe today, we forget the busyness of this world and nestle ourselves in His arms and praise Him for the sacrifice He made for us. Our sacrifice to stay home seems pretty minor in comparison doesn’t it? So this Easter may be different from all the ones from the past, but that first Easter was different from all the ones that followed. Kind of an overwhelming thought isn’t it?
For you that may not know Him, maybe take a minute to talk with Him. It isn’t about religion, mega churches or little country churches. It isn’t a denomination or affliation, it is a relationship. It isn’t about what others think, it isn’t about anyone but you and Him. I fail Him everyday, I have made choices in life that weren’t always the best. I have hurt others with my words or actions and I have been hurt by others as well. I say all this to strip away any impressions or judgements. I am a sinner saved by grace. I am far from perfect, I am a black sheep, I am just me. But that stone rolled away for just me and just you. If you don’t know Him, talk to Him and ask Him to be the Captain of your ship, the Shepherd of your life, the Lord of your life. So in this scary time of life, do we want to keep paddling on our own or crawl in the boat with the Man that calmed the storm? This Easter may not be like what we want or expect, but we have so much to be thankful for on this day. Happy Easter to my family and friends, to those that I love with all my heart, to Him who loves me despite myself. May we each have a moment of peace and reflection today and feel the Sonshine in our day and life.
