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. 







Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

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
17 comments
Read more

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some
Post a Comment
Read more

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.
Post a Comment
Read more