thanks to a Google search for this pictureEaster has been the hardest holiday for me to get my mind around. For years as I was growing up I just couldn’t quite get the deep understanding of exactly what Jesus had done for us. Still today I think it’s a complicated concept, and simple platitudes don’t satisfy me at all.
As an adult I finally have at least gained some understanding of Easter. Being a mom has been the biggest life lesson for me. I know I would risk my own life if I could save my child or children.. in a heartbeat. They are both adults now, but I would still do it. That is the kind of love Jesus had. He was willing to be tortured and to die a slow, painful death because of his love. He was showing us by his example that there is no end to God’s love for each of us. There is no horrible place we can be where God will not be with us. When I really think about this and “get” this, it is overwhelming and powerful.
A cousin of mine had four children. Two of them had cystic fibrosis. One died at a very young age, before I had a chance to know him. Another died at age 18, at Easter time. I’d had a chance to meet and get to know her; she was a loving and joy-filled young woman. Every year at Easter I think of my cousin and her family. My heart aches for them, and yet I hope that Easter brings them a special, loving reminder that God is always with them. They will never be alone. Do they get comfort from the words at Easter “Death, where is thy sting?” I hope so.
Even though I understand Easter much better than I did in my younger years, I still puzzle over it sometimes. I wonder if I did end up in a horrible, painful, isolated place.. would I be able to grab onto the Easter story and get comfort from an ever-present God? I hope I could, but I can’t make that guarantee. Easter gives me the courage to think about what I might do, or how I might feel, and gives me hope that I could survive the storm, whatever it may be. It also gives me the inspiration to try to reach out and help other people. I want to share God’s compassion with the world, though if you meet me, I will probably never utter those words out loud. I just hope that my compassion and love will show in the way I live.
I think courage, hope, faith, and love are what Easter is about. I’m striving to achieve these in my daily life; the arrival of Easter once a year helps me renew my commitment to living as I believe.
As an adult I finally have at least gained some understanding of Easter. Being a mom has been the biggest life lesson for me. I know I would risk my own life if I could save my child or children.. in a heartbeat. They are both adults now, but I would still do it. That is the kind of love Jesus had. He was willing to be tortured and to die a slow, painful death because of his love. He was showing us by his example that there is no end to God’s love for each of us. There is no horrible place we can be where God will not be with us. When I really think about this and “get” this, it is overwhelming and powerful.
A cousin of mine had four children. Two of them had cystic fibrosis. One died at a very young age, before I had a chance to know him. Another died at age 18, at Easter time. I’d had a chance to meet and get to know her; she was a loving and joy-filled young woman. Every year at Easter I think of my cousin and her family. My heart aches for them, and yet I hope that Easter brings them a special, loving reminder that God is always with them. They will never be alone. Do they get comfort from the words at Easter “Death, where is thy sting?” I hope so.
Even though I understand Easter much better than I did in my younger years, I still puzzle over it sometimes. I wonder if I did end up in a horrible, painful, isolated place.. would I be able to grab onto the Easter story and get comfort from an ever-present God? I hope I could, but I can’t make that guarantee. Easter gives me the courage to think about what I might do, or how I might feel, and gives me hope that I could survive the storm, whatever it may be. It also gives me the inspiration to try to reach out and help other people. I want to share God’s compassion with the world, though if you meet me, I will probably never utter those words out loud. I just hope that my compassion and love will show in the way I live.
I think courage, hope, faith, and love are what Easter is about. I’m striving to achieve these in my daily life; the arrival of Easter once a year helps me renew my commitment to living as I believe.
Cute baby hedgehogs!
4 comments:
What wonderful compassionate thoughts! Beautifully stated! Happy Easter! And blessings to your cousin!
Carol,
As another mom who has both a sweet baby boy and an adult daughter with Jesus, I can tell you the Easter Miracle of new life/eternal life with Jesus is comforting. When our baby son died I began to understand a small portion of what it meant to God to give his son. I belive, I DO believe that those who accept the gift of Jesus love, WILL live with him forever. Easter Blessings.
The beauty is that we are not expected to completely understand, that's why we have need faith. And for humans, I think, it is difficult to understand that faith is not certain knowledge, it is hope. Happy Easter.
Thank you so much for this post. I definitely relate to not being completely able to wrap my brain around the Easter message and not being satisfied by platitudes. I am always so grateful for your sincerity. Your post reassured me in posting my own thoughts. Thank you!
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