He is risen...
The stone has been rolled away...
Come see....
I was speaking with someone this week and she said "Easter has a different meaning for you this year doesn't it?" I smiled and nodded and said yes, but it wasn't until my quiet drive home when I began to think about that.
It does mean so much more to me now. It so does.
My daughter is in heaven. I know she is. And it's because of the cross.
If Jesus would not have taken the pain of that horrible day and bore the sin of man- my sin- I could not say that with confidence. But he did. He took upon himself all of our ugliness, all of our awfulness, our dirty secrets, our shame, our sin. He did that for me. He did that for Ella. But that's not all. He was broken and beaten and Satan thought he had won, but on that glorious third day, Jesus rose up from the clothes binding him and won the battle.
Today as I was in my mom's group I was listening to a speaker help us know how to share Easter with our kids and I had this overwhelming thought. "God lost his son too" He knows exactly how I feel. My heart has been so tender this week and it hasn't taken much to bring me to tears but this thought, that my God really does know how I'm feeling is overwhelming.
These next few days I'm going to do my best to celebrate. It has not been easy for me because my celebrating may involve lots of ugly cries (ha!) and kleenix and odd looks from others but if you do see me and I have "that look", please know that my tears are not all full of sadness. There is so, so much gratefulness in there as well.
This is my all time favorite song and there is no better time to sing it than now. Seriously. If you listen to it, really listen to the words. How can you not get excited and praise His name???
"Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave he rose again!"
"No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hands... till he returns or calls me home. Here in the power of Christ I'll stand. "
It doesn't get better than that. Ever.
Happy Easter- :)
2 comments:
Hey Shannon, it's been awhile since I popped over here. I appreciate your thoughts. I think your perspective on Easter after your journey this year is right on, and I hope others read it. There is sorrow for what has been lost, but joy that death has been defeated. Anyway, I really love that song as well. Here's another good one, not sure if you've ever heard it: http://vimeo.com/10869606
"Death in His Grave" by John Mark McMillan.
Take care and God bless you guys.
Thank you for sharing this perspective so well. I’ve felt this very same way, but have never been able to articulate it quite so well. If it wasn’t for the hope we have in Him, it would be so incredibly hard to go through the painful moments in this life. I cling to that hope and promise knowing that I will see my son again one day, too. It’s sad that we have that in common, but I’m glad we know that we will both see our babies again.
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