"Spring Awakening"

This year more than any other year of my almost 41 years, Easter seems especially meaningful. I thought there was no more fitting time than Good Friday to journal my feelings surrounding the meaning of Easter. Easter gets its origin from an English word that comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Eastre. Who was a pagan Goddess. The festival of Eastron which was held in her honor was meant to symbolize new life, the rising of the sun and a new beginning.

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about my journey to my relationship with Jesus. I have had a truly blessed life that if one were to look at all the things I have done in my life, the shenanigans I have pulled, the people I have hurt, the self-destructive patterns that existed in my life one might ask why I have had such a blessed life. The simple answer is because “I AM FORGIVEN.” Once I was able to grasp that the events leading up to today…Good Friday is the reason my life has been and is so blessed.

God knew all the bad things and good things in my life before I did and he gave me the greatest gift that anyone could ever give me…his own son. Jesus suffered the most brutal death any of us could ever imagine. He took every sin that was committed, is committed and will be committed by any of us on to that cross with him. I think that is hard for any of us to grasp without doubt being present. And that is where my journey began…so I want to describe my journey using the word Easter to describe it.

E --- Esoteric. There was a time when I believed that Christianity was esoteric. I felt that Jesus was so mysterious by the very nature of what he did for us that he must not be available to me because I was not enlightened or educated enough to just believe and accept what he did. I felt there must be a secret that I somehow was not allowed in on. God in his infinite wisdom and because I to am his child and he knows my every thought and concern, surrounded me with incredible individuals that began to educate me about who Jesus is in a way that I could understand without all the “religious” undertones. Real people that spoke truth and love into my spirit.

A – Acceptance. I eventually came to a place in the path where I could have turned left on the path of rejection like so many people that I knew. This would mean doing things my own way and rejecting all I had learned and researched on my own about the life of this carpenter that we called Jesus. Or, I could turn right and do something truly amazing and accept that Jesus was sent to save me from myself. All I had to do was lay down all my baggage at the fork, make the turn and accept. Wow…that was the turn I took and all I can say is it is so much easier letting someone else take that baggage for me.

S – Sadness over my sinful nature. Good Friday is a sad day for me because I do have a passionate nature and I have accepted what Jesus did for me and now today we symbolize the brutal death that he took on for all of us. He took all my sins on the cross. That gift of amazing sacrifice moves me to tears every time I think about it and makes me sad for my portion of sin that he took on. If there is any day of the year where I am extremely humbled and on my knees in thankfulness it is today.

T – Touched. Although, today can be sad and humbling for me. Another emotion which could be used as an adjective or a verb is touched. I am ever so touched by the mercy and grace that is shown to me on a daily basis because of my love and acceptance of Jesus for what he did for me, but I also want every part of my being to be TOUCHED with his power and filled with his fullness. I am humbled and amazed that I can enter into a personal relationship with God himself. Me - the girl who struggles with so many things that pain His heart - have been given a position in His family. I am truly touched!

E – Eternal. This gift given to me upon acceptance is eternal. God “regifts” me every day with love, mercy and grace. I am so happy with this concept of eternity because although I have 40 years to look back on and reflect upon…I have an ETERNITY to look forward to because I believe in him and I have been promised eternal life and I am standing right now on that promise! Thank you God!!

R – Resurrection and Receive. The word resurrection means rebirth, to reawake. Springtime is a wonderful season for the rebirth of plants and flowers and all of the beautiful things that God created. There is no greater time to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus than the season of Spring. When I think of resurrection, I think of the prayer which was taught to me growing up by my Grandmother about “dying before I wake.” You know the one…Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. My hope for friends and family and even those I do not know is NOT “if I should die before I wake” but “I hope you wake before you die.” And all any of us have to do to get this eternal life is RECEIVE. I don’t know about you…but I LOVE receiving gifts. And on this Good Friday we who are willing to RECEIVE will be RESURRECTED…reawakened….just in time for Spring! HAPPY EASTER!