What Easter Means to Me!

I didn't hear anyone verbalize specifically what I want to state as MY joy in Easter.

I love the family time, kids finding eggs, adults sneaking candy, a chance to buy extra treats.

I love the joy and excitement in church, memories of the orchids my dad used to buy. He purchased one for mother, and one for each of us five daughters. One Easter I slid on the icy sidewalk walking to church. Another Easter I got a new baby sister -- at 6:30 AM--Daddy was back in time for church.

I love the hope of eternal life. A churchy phrase, probably better said, "the promise of life after death." Because Jesus came back from death, we can believe all he said about himself, heaven, and being with him after death.

But what I love most is one of the last things Jesus said before he returned to heaven, that he would send a "comforter". Not a fuzzy cozy blanket, but a being that would not just keep me secure, but would walk with me, through all the "stuff" of life.

THIS IS MY JOY in Easter. Jesus lives. His life is historically verified, so he was either a hoax or the Son of God, as he professed. He said that true character will be proven, as will likewise the fakes. It still takes faith, to believe, but also to hang on.

This hanging-on is what life is about. Hanging on when there is no rest for young parents. Hanging on when finances are so tight that $20 debts make us cringe. Hanging on when parents get news of cancer. Life seems dull when everything goes good, so ultimately, hanging on is where the rubber meets the road.

My God is with me in the hanging-on times. He has walked with me this past year as I have felt endless darkness, and sometimes no sense of his presence or provision. He has sent several of those "oasis flowers", but always after I've remembered to plead for them -- not take for granted that they would pop up. MY GOD! HEAR THAT! He is MY GOD!

I love the story of the tomb and the ladies finding it empty. I love knowing that one of his closest friends is remembered for his fear and doubt -- it comforts me at my lowest times. But I love most knowing that that was only the beginning. The rest of the story is that MY GOD is with me NOW!

It's not a thing about knowledge or smarts. It's all about trust. I realize each day that I can do nothing to protect my kids or grandkids, but I pray MY GOD will protect them, first from evil, and then from danger. I ask him to walk them through the hard stuff, because that is what grows them into sturdy trees that will produce good fruit.

On to today! Who knows what! I know how! With MY GOD!