Easter

I'm not sure where I'm going with this post so if you don't want to follow the ramblings (and I completely understand why you wouldn't) please scroll to the bottom for cute Easter pix which are really why you're still checking out this blog anyway, right?! :)

I learned 2 big lessons this Easter. Or maybe learned isn't the right word. Maybe I was just allowed to understand a couple of things a tad bit deeper than I have been able to in the past due to new experiences in my life. One is quite obvious and the other I will choose to be a little more vague about but both were heart-stopping, "I'll never be the same" realizations.

The first was a new perspective on exactly what God did for us as sinners and what Mary had to endure as a result. I mean God allowed His Son to be tortured, humiliated, beaten to a bloody pulp and killed in a most gruesome way for me. And you. He had done nothing wrong and yet He was willing to face the disgrace, pain, and suffering for us. Who does that?

And many of us aren't even grateful for it. In fact a lot of us don't even believe He was who He said He was. A lot of us think He was a liar...or crazy....or both. But He still died for them too. Whether they would believe or not. Whether they were nice to Him or not. I mean, it would take a lot for me to go through that torture for someone who was nice to me but there's no way I'd be willing to do it for someone who WASN'T nice to me. And I sure as fire wouldn't offer up MY son to do it. I mean really, who would do that?

Jesus would do that. Jesus did that. By choice. For us. ALL of us.

I have a son now. And I'm sure every parent feels this way, but could you let your son go through what Jesus went through? Even if you knew it would save millions of lives? I cannot fathom how Mary had the strength to witness it. If it were Grant.....I cannot even write the words. I could not stand under the pain. I am sure I couldn't. Yet Mary stayed until the bitter end. She stayed until He drew His last breath. The baby boy she had raised into a man and all the sacrifice that came from being a "virgin with child" and then God allowed her to watch the most horrific torture and murder of her INNOCENT son. How did she do it? How did she watch? Oh how she must have suffered. The sight must have been so gruesome. I bet she had nightmares about it for the rest of her life.

Totally new perspective on what Mary suffered and what God was willing to do for us as sinners. How can your heart not break if you allow yourself to really go there? It's hard to accept and be reminded of the fact that Jesus suffered and died for us, because of OUR sin, not His but OURS. We like to celebrate that He is risen (and that's really important that He did) but that's only half of it. He had to suffer and die for us first before He could conquer death for us and rise again. I just really feel like it's important to recognize and remember the whole picture. We will be intentional about teaching Grant the whole picture (leaving the gruesomeness out of it until he's older of course).

And the other realization God showed me was the complete innocence of Christ. Now, I know Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. He was blameless and free from sin which allowed Him to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. I know all this. But this year I was given an earthly picture of that so as to be able to truly comprehend how difficult this must have been for Jesus to endure and how much He must have loved us to go through with it.

Now let me ease your mind, no one I know was literally crucified this year. :) But I was witness to incredibly unjust actions against someone who did not deserve it. Do you truly understand how devastating that is? Jesus had done NOTHING wrong and yet He was blamed, humiliated, spit upon, beaten, and nailed to 2 pieces of wood where He was left to die a painful death. And He had done NOTHING wrong. I had not fully comprehended that until some recent events in my life allowed me to understand it a little better. Jesus was blameless and took the fall. And He did it graciously and without anger. Why? Because great is His love for us.

Have you ever noticed that a lot of the time it's the nicest people who get the worst rap? (I'd say Jesus got a pretty bad rap and from what I've read He was THE NICEST guy around.) I mean people who don't deserve bad things to come their way seem to get more than their fair share sometimes. Have you noticed that? Have you also noticed that a lot of the time these same people seem to be closest to God? That these people don't waiver in their faith when the bad times hit? Have you noticed that? Could it be that God trusts them with the worst of circumstances and allows events to occur so that "all will see how great is our God" just as Jesus did? Because they trust that their suffering will serve God's greater good. That God will ultimately use the pain and humiliation they suffer for good.

These blessed people who face hurtful, difficult, and humiliating circumstances through no fault of their own are trusted by God to show us who He is because He knows they will be faithful....just as Jesus was faithful! For these blessed people there will be many mansions in heaven because they have stood the test of faith, they have won the race, and they know who wins in the end! I am privileged to know such people and I do know who wins in the end! "For all will see how great, HOW GREAT, is OUR GOD!"

Was that rambling or what people!!! You should get a medal if you actually read all of that. :) And now for the cute Easter pix....enjoy! HE IS RISEN!






Grant's sweet Easter outfit was courtesy of our friends Pam, Courtney, and Lindsay. They gave it to Grant before he was even born with the thought that it would be the perfect size for Easter....and they were right! Thanks friends!