I love holidays that gather families together. Thanksgiving. Christmas. 4th of July. Everyone comes together, we spend the day relaxing, eating and enjoying each other. I dig that. Mostly because my family is awesome... and second because i plan to fully use up the great gift God has given me of both time, closeness and a family who loves Him and each other really well.
Easter, however, is a little different. While we still get together to eat and enjoy each other.. there are a few added oddities. Dying eggs, looking for them, then grating them into egg salad. Tasty, but random. Eating chocolate bunnies or crosses. Also tasty and a little strange. Or blowing up those little marshmallow peeps in the microwave just to see how distorted they get. (do it. you'll laugh.) There is something greater than all of this during Easter, and i had a sweet taste of it this weekend.
Having come to know the Lord in high school and since watching my family come to know Him, one by one, the movement of God in my family in recent years is SO evident. My mom calls it a "banner of mercy" and i think i'll have to agree. It's pretty radical and nothing short of God's mighty hand! The transformation over the past 8 years or so has been kind of mind blowing. And well, rather AWESOME. He has transformed our lives, personally, and is remaking our family, daily. Which is also awesome. Easter weekend reminds me of two things, i was dead, WE ALL WERE DEAD, and Jesus gave me life! HE GAVE US ALL LIFE! And that changes everything!
Life before Jesus was dark. End of story. Fear. Doubt. Bondage to sin. Depression. Addiction. Weightiness of guilt. The new life he gave me is that of victory! It's light. It's forgiveness of sin! Co-heirship. It's oneness with the Lord and right standing before God. It's joy and peace! It's righteousness! By his death and resurrection he secured the defeat of death and transfered it to me! That is his offering of forgiveness and victory over sin! By grace he had mercy on me and snatched me from the pit. He set me appart. He called me, justified me, and is transforming me into glory- from one degree to another. THAT, is what i adore! Jesus makes things new! He makes them, he makes US, beautiful. Not in bandaging me up. Putting on patches and smoothing me over. But, He radically remakes me- reforming me into something beautiful. No words to explain how awesome that truly is! Not that i was good enough to deserve any of it. I couldn't do anything and i am deserving of nothing. But, in his kindness, he found favor and called me to himself. Do i need more reason to celebrate?
So this Easter, i celebrated with my family. We worshiped together with the Church in the morning. We got together and enjoyed a tasty meal. We sat in the living room, broke bread and took communion together as a family (15 strong) and remembered the prophecy that foretold of Jesus (Thanks Grandpa!). Awesome i tell you.
We celebrate Easter once a year. However this morning as i was reading my Bible i was reminded to fix, continually fix, my eyes on Jesus! Because he is my strength and strong tower throughout the day. But also because He is coming back! You see, this is the awesome thing, Jesus promised he would come back and make all things new. Oh, and his promises are true! Jesus is coming back, for the second time! I don't know the time, or day, or any of that jazz, but he is. And there is so much hope in that. He will restore all things. He will heal all that is broken once and for all. And take back what is rightfully his! For that i wait! Until then, i fix my eyes on him and what he is doing today!!
Maybe today Lord! Happy Easter friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment