Love and Life in Dead Places

This is the season for celebration! I just recently saw Mountain Bluebirds flying about and chirping as they gathered materials for the babies' nests...New life is all around us, although it is hard to imagine while looking out my window at a blanket of snow! At this point I am sure some of you (my friends from California??) may feel you will never see Spring, but trust me, you will. Spring is patiently waiting for God's proper time to emerge. The warm earth, life-giving sunshine, and longer days will all contribute to nature's life cycle. And, so it goes with our life cycle, too.

When the hardness and pain of life brings coldness to our reasoning and to our hearts, we often fail to see the beauty that lies just beneath the surface. A new and fresh perspective; a new and fresh spirit; a closer walk with God...the new life in what we face is waiting to emerge at just the proper time. God's perfect time. Once the beauty of new life springs forward, we then see glimpses of hope. One definition of resurrect is "to bring to view, attention or use again." We often don't see or appreciate the beauty of life unless we accept the hardships that had to be in order to bring God's purpose and plan to our attention.

The hope we can experience and have is because of the resurrection of another life: the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He came to bring warmth and beauty out of the pain and death of life's winters in each of us. He came to bring us a fresh and new beginning and purpose! The ever-lasting life that Jesus brings starts now; it can start today.

The flowers, the deciduous trees, and the wild life - everything in nature is waking up. I believe we need to wake up, too. Life is a gift, dear friends. An ever-present gift from God. We are the undeserving recipients. Being in our selfish sin state, God's Perfect Gift suffered, bled and died in order to conquer death victoriously for you and me.

I don't believe while on this earth I will ever fully comprehend the depth and power of Jesus' love for me. But I do comprehend this - because of Jesus I have crossed over from death to life! And I know that Jesus can resurrect love and life in the dead places of my life. When life's struggles tempt to over take me, I can claim His promises and experience life as He intended. You, too, can experience this hope. Reach out and feel the warmth of God's gift of life for you.

Happy Easter!

John 11:25-26 "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one, who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?" The Message (MSG)