Resurrection Day

We celebrated Easter this year. His Resurrection day. Reality; He is alive and He came to live and die for us. We were His prize, His living hope, His goal, His highest desire.

But real things are not simple and real life is often times difficult, hard, confusing and certainly not what we expected or hoped for.

We, as many other people, had to celebrate His resurrection with a determined will because a wife was missing her husband of only sixteen months, a family was still grieving and missing a son and friends were thinging about their lose.

The Philips translation says that "We are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations." That seems too mild, too inconsequential. But yes, we look to the future and for the joy set before us, we go forward. We have hope because He had set His face like a flint towards Jerusalem to receive for us what we could not on our own achieve.

Pastels are traditional for Easter decorations. I understand the concept, new life, a coming forth out of the darkness of our spiritual seperation from God and into the wonderful life He always intended that we should have. Traditionally people have made it a time to get new clothes and appear all decked out in church on Sunday. I remember when I was growing up, we always got a new Easter dress, hat and gloves. Actually, it was the only time we went out to the stores and got new clothes, everyone. I did put up our Easter decorations but a new awareness had invaded my consciousness this year. Of a love so intense and so determined for us, for me, who does not deserve it on my own merit, whatsoever.

We had a tenebrae service at church on Good Friday. Mike, who organized the music for Elizabeth's wedding, plans this service each year. It is a somber service, one that is quiet, and reflective. One with long scripture narratives, a dimly lit church with 12 candles which are extinguished one at a time; at the end leaving the people in darkness, and hymns and special music sung without instruments. At the end of the service there is no benedition and the congregation leaves in silence, sensing His betrayal, abandonment and agony. And I again received a better understanding of what He did for me.

Isaiah 42 says that "He shall not fail nor be discouraged". Down through the ages He did not stumble or disengage Himself from the plan. What perserverance! And what faith. Discouragement seems so easy in our lives. We get down when the people disappoint us and I often think and wonder how God kept His faith and perserverance up through the ages when it seemed hopeless. And we can not really understand Isaiah 53:9-11 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet is pleased the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

So we know what this accident was not. It was not that He did not love us. He proved that on the cross and by His leaving everything that was beautiful, good, true so He could redeem us, His beloved family. And we can say with assurance the verse in Isaiah 43:2,"When you pass through the water, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overtake you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned; nither shall the flame kindle upon you."

And confess Psalm 3; "Many will say, there is not help for him in God, But you of God are a shield for me, the glory and the lifter of my head. I cried to the Lord and He heard me out of his holy hill. I laid down and slept and he sustained me."

And so we had Easter. We celebrated His resurrection and the hope of our resurrection in the future with our adopted neice, Carol, and her wonderful husband, Andy, and our friends from China, Mary and Henry with their new daughter Meredith, who have recently come to love our Savior too; and with our youngest son up from NYC. And we sensed His presence and His love again that day.