Skip to main content

Easter 2020

One month ago Easter planning was in high speed. The house was decorated, church schedule set, family celebration plans being worked on, it was going to be a glorious day, filled from early morning with celebrations of our faith and family. 

I love to pack Easter Sunday completely full!  Our traditions include attending a Sunrise Service, followed by breakfast at church, morning worship service, then home for a special lunch with a houseful of family.  The excitement of planning for this special day invigorates me. 

This year, things changed quickly. There would be no traditional church service, no large gathering, nothing special to plan for, no huge crowd to feed. When we stand still and face the reality of our country's crisis, even the best laid plans and routines fade in comparison of what is truly important. 

With distractions gone and still mind and hands, the timeless truth is that Easter is about hope. Church pews may be empty. The chairs around our dining room table may be empty. But Easter shouts in the emptiness that God is at work. The resurrection is a reminder that an empty tomb means a full hope. Because Jesus lives, we have “a hope that lives on.” The hope of Christ is stronger than death, disease, and discouragement. It fills us with joy in the midst of grief, courage in the face of fear, and peace in times of stress. It perseveres through the most difficult days, shines a light in the darkest night, and anchors us in the fiercest storm.

Hope is what the world needs now, and the resurrection gives it abundantly. The hope Jesus gives us—the hope of eternal life—cannot be taken away. It is not subject to shifting circumstances, our present worries, or a global pandemic. Our hope is founded on the unchanging Word of God and secured by His resurrection.

Easter may feel different this year, but our hope remains—perhaps stronger and more needed and more meaningful than ever. As you celebrate the Risen Savior today, we pray God’s blessing on you: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

The pastor in our drive in church service said - we will never forget Easter 2020. I hope not! It was truly a time laid bare for us to remember the Hope of the Resurrection. 







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Workout DVDs

Prevention Magazine is a leader in health and fitness news and products. They recently came up with the top 10 list of workout DVDs. They have examined the many fitness DVDs out there and narrowed down a list of the best ones. There is a DVD for every fitness level. If you are looking to incorporate some exercise into your day in the convenience of your own home, take a look at this list. Here is an additional money saving tip:  If you see a DVD that you are interested in, check out Amazon or Ebay before ordering.  Many times they have pre-owned DVDs at a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We...

Word Filled Wednesday – Act Justly

He has shown you, O man, what is good;       And what does the LORD require of you                But to do justly, To love mercy,       And to walk humbly with your God?    Micah 6:8 Sometimes we struggle so hard with the question “What does God want us to do and be?”  This verse is a simple yet powerful reminder of some simple things that God requires of us.  Act and do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God.  There are numerous opportunities each day to do justly, to do the right thing or to make the right choice.  We love mercy when we show kindness or mercy oftentimes to those who do not deserve it.  Walking humbly before God is acknowledging He alone is God.  He is the I AM – no one else is.  When we give Him the glory He is worthy of, it will humble our heart before Him....