Resurrection

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection not in books alone, but in every leaf in the springtime. Martin Luther

The quote above is from a little daily devotional calendar that sits on my microwave. I have used this calendar daily for 15 years now. I love the reminder that April 8th's quote gives us.....every leaf is a reminder of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The wonder of His creation is in every plant, every flower. Throughout the winter, we see bare trees, dried up plants and flowers..... but we know that once the Spring comes, new life begins.

Now, please realize that I do NOT have a green thumb. I do not know the names of all the different plants and flowers and shrubs and trees that I have (and I really don't have all that many of them), but I DO recognize when they start to come up out of the ground that they are flowers or plants and not weeds. I realize that they've just been waiting there, under the ground, for Mr. Sun to peek out around those clouds and warm up that ground, and POOF! up they come!

I was out fixing the downspout on the eavestrough the other day and Justin came out to see if he could lend a hand. I exclaimed in an excited child-like manner, "Oh looky here! My flowers are already coming out!" To which Justin replied in an imitating, teasing, sarcastic voice, "Ooooo-weeeee, look at that! How exciting!" [Slap upside the head! Justin, you're such a... guy!]

I can't imagine what the disciples were thinking and feeling when they saw Jesus die on that cross. The Man who was going to save them was hanging there.... dead.... and they must have thought everything Jesus had told them was all a lie. Even when He rose from the grave and came back to them, some were doubtful.

I can SO relate to Mr. Doubting Thomas. I would've been standing right there beside him going, "Yah-huhhh, I'm with Tommy.... gotta see it to believe it". (For those of you who don't know the story, Thomas would not believe the rumours that Jesus had returned from the dead until he could actually see Jesus and put his fingers in the holes of Jesus' hands).

Believing that a Man could return from the dead is really, in our human minds, a far-fetched thing; however, when I think of the leaf in the springtime, it just SO makes sense.

Still a Doubting Thomas?

Tonight I took Mick & Duke outside for their night-time 'jobbies', and I just stood there soaking up what was around me...... it was cool outside, but not cold; the wind was blowing ever so gently; and right in front of me was The Man In The Moon.... his face was completely round tonight and even though it looked a bit foggy or hazy in the sky, his face was so clear. He was smiling at me. He's always smiling. I stood there (wishing I had a telescope to see the moon more closely) and I thought to myself, "How can anyone NOT believe in the Lord?"

When people look at the moon and the stars and the waters and the earth and the trees and flowers and the animals and even us humans.... how can anyone not believe that God made it all? Even if someone doesn't believe in the Bible, all they have to do is LOOK AROUND! If God could make all of these things in just one week, then why is it so hard to believe that our Lord's body, broken and bruised for us, could be brought back from the dead. I mean, after all, He IS GOD!

I guess I've jumped ahead of myself. I'm talking about the Resurrection and we haven't even had Good Friday yet. Can't have the Resurrection until you've had The Cross.

Today I skipped ahead a few days to a reading in "Our Daily Bread" and it quoted this verse from an old familiar hymn:

Sin and despair, like the sea-waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater --- yes, grace untold ---
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
---Johnston

Oh that wonderful cross where Jesus hung for you and for me. I'm so thankful He gave His life for me... little ol' Michelle... an unworthy sinner. And He rose from the grave for me. How can I NOT serve Him? In the words of another hymn, "How can you refuse Him now?" He loves us. He wants us to follow Him and serve Him. He died for you. He rose again from the dead. He waits for you to come to Him.

Oh, I hope I let this Easter weekend sink deep into my soul, into every fibre of my being. Easter is the basis of our beliefs. An empty grave proves my Saviour lives.

He lives..... He lives indeed.