Saturday, March 22, 2008

Something Else to Celebrate

“Despite our efforts to keep Him out, God intrudes. This
life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities; a virgin’s
womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through
a door marked ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked
‘No Exit.’
God breaks into our world even when unexpected and
unwelcome. God joins us in our weakest and worst moments.
God longs to be a part of our lives and while He will never
force His way into our hearts, that is exactly the place
where God wants most to be!
God came into this world and all the power of evil could
not stop His entrance – His intrusion. And everywhere that
God is, good blessings and joy will be. Yet too many persist
in attempting to keep God “out.”
God wants to be in each heart, not just in moments when
we are righteous and good, but even in the moments when
we stumble and fall. What humans miss when they refuse to
allow God to enter and be a part of their lives!
Whatever one’s life story may be, God longs to be
included. He never rejects an invitation to enter in and begin
to make us holy and fulfilled. Would you make room in your
heart and your life for God to dwell?”
– Peter Larson, Prism (Jan/Feb 2001)


After celebrating the Razorbacks win tonight over Indiana, and while surfing the web in the wee, small hours of the morning, I came across this article in the College Church bulletin in Searcy. And I couldn't help but think as I read it about the celebration that must have taken place 2,000 years ago when the tomb was discovered empty. I love the phrase "this life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities" because really, when you get right down to it, our God is a God of impossibilities. What we as feeble humans think should be impossible is absolutely possible with God. And even in those moments where things that are so tragic and unexplainable happen, I have to put my complete trust in God, knowing that there are some things in this life that I will not understand, but God does, and God is still in control, and at the end of the day, isn't that really all we need to know?

As Lauren grows up and learns more about the God who made her and knew her before we did, who knows the number of hairs on her head, and who knows exactly what He has in store for her, it's important for me to make sure that she is also prepared for the pain and heartaches of this world-which all parents know is no small task. But, I fully believe and have every intention of stressing to her as she grows up, that pain happens, hurts will come, but it's all temporary, and it's all serving (at least in a small part) to create a longing in her for the world to come. A place where there will be no tears, there will be no sadness, or pain, or grief, or heartache. A place where, quite frankly, I find it hard to imagine sometimes because the stresses of this world so easily cloud that vision.

During this Easter weekend, may you feel God's presence, and enjoy the celebration that we have knowing that the "God of impossibilities" loved us enough that he came to earth, suffered and died, and then rose again and wants more than anything to have a relationship with us. An empty tomb, and a God who wants me, warts and all...a God who went to Hell and back for me so that I could be in Heaven with him someday ~ now that's really something to celebrate!


Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (NLT) Matthew 19:26

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