Resurrection

Today is Easter.  The glorious anniversary of Christ rising again after death.  A day filled with hope, new beginnings and a journeys of change.

A year ago, Easter to me was about family time, CHOCOLATE, and while I would remember it was the day that Christ rose again and conquered the grave, that religious truth didn't impact me.  Now though the way I view these religious holidays is changed.

I woke up this morning feeling sorrow that He had to die and receive such a tortuous death.  I was filled with Joy knowing that for us this sacrificial lamb found new life and has cleared the way for us to receive redemption and forgiveness for our sins.

I spent the first 30 minutes of my morning reading through scriptures in each of the books of the New Testament that detailed the accounts of the Resurrection of Christ.  It is such a wonder how he conquered the grave and fulfilled the prophecies of generations.  How lucky those followers of Jesus were to witness first hand the events of the resurrection.  I would love to be able to go back in time to those moments, to see and experience such joys in the face of such persecution.  To feel justified that the one they loved was exactly who he claimed to be and to know that their lives had the very real presence of Jesus.  Glorious and Amazing!

Then I reflect on my life and what I have to be thankful for.  I may not have a first-hand account of the resurrection but the power that God gave for those moments are still around today and are still impacting lives everywhere.  My life is a testament to the power of Jesus being fulfilled.  Your life too is an opportunity to see that God is here with us, never leaving us, and all because of the power of believing that He IS Risen!

It is such a mighty weight to know that Jesus gave his LIFE for me, for you, for all of us.  Do you live in a way that is worthy of life that was sacrificed for you?  Probably not.  And that's not a mean judgement on my part, but fact, that our lives are sinful and do not match the perfection of our holy God, but nonetheless we are still afforded the eternity to spend with our Saviour.

When I think of such a huge sacrifice that was made for me, it is humbling.  Am I worthy?  Am I making an impact that shows that I am found, can see, and will never need to fear death?  Do I show with my waking moments that this life on this Earth is huge blessing, regardless of the eternity that will be given after I have completed my journey on this Earth?

The truth is that I am not free of sin, I am NOT perfect, but I yearn to be, I want to make the best choices that I can.  I want to give myself over to the guidance and comfort of knowing that every step that I will make and the choices that I will make can be guided by God.  I don't have to do this alone.

Each hurdle that comes my way, is an opportunity to not allow the enemy to take over but to make the hard choices that define me and will be Godly even if they hurt.

It is a big weight to know that we are all accountable to the very person who gave their life for each of us.  It is not just a matter of trying to be perfect, as Pastor Shawn says, we will always fall short of the goodness and perfection that is God.  It is accepting that while we cannot ever match up to God, we can however to choose to make the right decisions.  We can choose to repent of our sins.  We can choose to be as close to his likeness as possible.  We can choose to spend our time being thankful for what we have, what we are given, and what we have overcome.

I have much to be thankful for.  I was raised by parents who loved me.  I am close to my brother and sister.  I had a great childhood.  I did well in school.  I know how is feels to love. I have been heart-broken (and yes I am thankful for knowing what it means to be broken-hearted).  I know how it feels to be betrayed (and that betrayal has made me stronger).  I am healthy.  I have friends who love me as I love them.  And most of all, I have a relationship with God that fills my heart, body, & soul with comfort and joy and love and hope.

The parts of my life that didn't always go right have always taught me something.  We like to say "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" and that is absolutely true.  Those lessons during adversity though should also be teaching us something deeper.  A connection with God will keep you afloat.  You won't need to sink underneath the waves.  There is a life-raft that will hold you up and get you to the shore.  If you haven't read the bible or even picked it up lately I hope while reading this you are feeling the urge to pick that up.  Review some of the scriptures because there is real advice in there that can help you or guide you.  Go a church (Promontory Community Church is great if you're in Chilliwack...hint hint).  You don't have to be alone.

I love going to church.  Standing in a room full of people making a connection to God is so good.  It is hard to even put into words how much it means to see worshippers all together, all connected, all finding a way to the Lord who doesn't forsake us.

I have been given this life, and it makes me so over-joyed to know that I get to be part of a great picture.  I treasure my time here on this Earth, walking a path that I was always meant to be on.

I am loved.  And one day, I too will rise after the grave to find my place in heaven with God.  And how could anyone ask for more comfort than that?