April 22–Surprise!!

Happy Monday. I hope you had a great Easter weekend and were able to celebrate the risen Lord. I love this holiday because it always brings us a new perspective and refreshed appreciation for the price paid for our salvation. Each year the words resonate a little deeper in my soul and speak a little more clearly. 


My daughter-in-law send me Max Lucado’s Easter devotion and he had entitled it “Surprise Party”. He talked about what a shock it must have been for Mary Magdalene when she went to the tomb that morning. She was expecting her “Lord” to be dead, his lips to be silent, his body needing attention and she was crying when she thought some one had taken what was left of the bruised, battered and broken body of her Master. But isn’t it just like Jesus to show up in the most unexpected places doing the most unexpected things? And what I love the most about this story is the first person He showed up to see was the very one who had listened the most intently, believed what He told her and anointed Him for burial just a week earlier. 


Max said he could just hear Jesus say “Mary...Surprise!” And from what we know of Jesus, I don’t think that it’s out of the realm of possibilities. He was personable and likable and He cared so deeply—He must have been a little playful as well. I think He’s just like that with us, too. He waits for us to get tired of our own strength and surprises us with a little of His. He can bring the sun in the middle of the rain and He can speak your name in the middle of the cemetery. Just like that...”Surprise! I told you I’d be here when you needed me!” 


I love to try to see it all in my mind—how it really happened. The more we read it and the more we study about the culture of the time, the better picture we can have. And the better the picture, the easier it is to tell the story to someone else and the easier it is to believe it still happens to us today. And every time it happens for us, we need to add that to our stories and share it. Only through sharing did the disciples bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus, right? 


“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Dear Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy are you. Praise you for finding a way for us to follow you in breaking the chains of death to find life and immortality through your light. We want to let your message fill our lives in all of the fullness it brings to us. Let the words we say and the songs we sing we a sweet reflection of that message and let them come from grateful, thankful hearts. We love you and praise our most holy Father through you, our Savior and Lord. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam



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