Christ is Risen!

One of my favorite things about my church back home on Easter s when we Sing "Christ the Lord is Risen Today", with the majestic pipe organ accompanying us, and people walking up to the front of the sanctuary to place flowers on a wooden cross- symbolizing new life. It gave me goosebumps every year. And today I wish I could have been there for that.

But I am here, in Kentucky, and even in Kentucky, Christ has still risen! We sang a song today with these words: I'll praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead. And really, this is a good way to look at Easter. It's about celebrating the fact that because Christ has risen, we no longer have to live in death. Living in death is not a fun place to be and as I sang these words today, my heart was bursting with joy when I reflected on what I was saved from. I was brought from hopelessness to hope, darkeness to light, despair to joy, death to LIFE. And what a good life God has blessed me with!

During the last song, I stayed in my seat and just started to pray and think about what Jesus has done for me. A woman came over from a few pews behind to see if I was ok. I told her I was, but as soon as she left, I started to cry. She came over again at the end of the service and just held me. Boy did I need that. Sometimes God reaches out to us through other people and the good Lord knew that my heart is aching. I hate that I'm away from my family right now because of stuff that's going on back home. I'm struggling to fully accept where I am in life. I'm wanting to be home for Easter in way that I can't even describe.

But Christ has risen....He has risen indeed! And as I face the rest of today, I know that I am not alone- not now, not ever...

In His Mercy.