He has risen!

When I think about Resurrection Sunday I think of new birth.  No, I don't think of the Easter Bunny and hiding brightly colored eggs and no I don't think of Marshmellow Peeps, I think of new birth. 

I don't think that it is coincidence that I walked out of the wilderness as we were celebrating His arrival in Jerusalem.  I don't find it strange that as we were preparing for Resurrection Sunday, I was struggling to see the light.  I am especially thankful that as we celebrated His resurrection, I celebrated the beginning of a new chapter in my life.  Things don't just happen, He is the great conductor and He orchestrates our steps and things happen in His perfect time.

I know I complained along the way.  I know that not so long ago I wasn't very happy with where He was leading me and I know that I lost sight of His plans for me.  But as a human, who is definitely not perfect, the One who was perfect, and yet died for our sins, has forgiven me yet again. 

That's what Easter is all about, forgiveness.  The One who was blameless was nailed to a cross and even in His agony, and even as He took His last breath, He asked for forgiveness for those that had tortured Him...but wait, I know I said I think of new birth when I think of Easter, not forgiveness.  Don't worry I'm getting there...

So remember what I said a few posts ago about, "Don't try to put a period where He has put a comma."  Easter is a perfect example of where people tried to put a period where He was going to put a comma.  Commas are interesting, depending on where you put them they can make the same words mean something totally different. There is a great book called, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." or is it "Eats Shoots and Leaves." well I guess you get the picture.  When you put a comma in a sentence, it changes the meaning.  If I wrote that sentence, "The panda eats shoots and leaves." you would know what the panda eats, but by adding that comma the panda becomes very rude and quite naughty. 

Easter was the ultimate comma in our lives, His death and resurrection changed what would have been certain death into life everlasting.  Easter brought us new life and to receive that new life we must be re-birthed or born again.  Again it's not coincidence that Easter comes in the Spring, when even the world is being re-born.  We don't even blink an eye when the grass turns brown in the fall and winter, but when Spring comes and the flowers start to bloom and the green leaves start to reappear, we rejoice.  So yes, Easter equals new birth for you and I.  

Re-birth also means seeing things in a different light, like a baby who is seeing things for the first time, we too get to take a new look at our lives and our surroundings after our re-birth.  We take a closer look at those people we surround ourselves with, when we are given new life.  We see the world through different lenses then before.  We are more gracious, more loving and kinder to the people that we meet.  Our hearts swell with an out pouring of the love that was shown to us at the Cross.

Easter, the ultimate comma, the ultimate beginning to your life...